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Protein kinases (PKs) play crucial roles in most eukaryotic cellular processes. The Plasmodium falciparum kinome comprises representatives of most eukaryotic PK groups, including the CMGC (CDK, MAPK, GSK3 and CDK-like) group that encompasses PKs, which regulate proliferation and differentiation processes. Whereas plasmodial enzymes of the CDK, MAPK and GSK3 families have been investigated extensively, very little information is available regarding the 4th family in the CMGC group, the CDK-like kinases (CLKs). In other eukaryotes, CLKs are major regulators of mRNA splicing, through phosphorylation of Serine/Arginine-rich (SR) proteins, which function in the splicing pathway. Thus, CLKs participate in the control of gene expression, and may be particularly important in Plasmodium, in view of the established importance of post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression in malaria parasites. This study aims at characterising the four PfCLKs (Lammer kinase PF14_0431, PF14_0408, PF11_0156 and PFC0105w) at the biochemical and functional levels, with the main focus on the LAMMER kinase and PF14_0408 kinase. |
Shruti Agarwal, Würzburg |