Oxygen distribution in proteins defines functional significance of the genome and proteome of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum 3D7

Abstract

Although GlaxoSmithKline is on the way to launch the new vaccine candidate RTS, S', the search for suitable antimalarial drugs still remains an exceeding challenge because Plasmodium falciparum-mediated malaria is one of the most lethal diseases in the world. Novel innovative ideas are required to identify new potential molecular targets to be able to fight this lethal parasite efficiently. We used an unconventional bioinformatics approach to analyze the entire genome and proteome of the Pf3D7 strain. Because the oxygen (O-) content is a decisive parameter that determines the function of a protein, we analyzed the entire Pf3D7 proteome based on O-containing amino acid expression. Our data disclose a total of four proteins encoded by chromosome (Chr)-4 and Chr-9 that have an outstanding O-controlled character. The identification of the biological significance of these proteins could eventually lead to new vital drug targets.