The availability of complete genome sequence of
Plasmodium falciparum at Plasmodb (
www.PlasmoDB.org) makes feasible the study of the essential genes important for parasite biology and pathogenesis. The parasite specific genes important for various pathways can serve as good targets for antimalarial drug. The genome-wide analysis of
P. falciparum helicases suggested that parasite specific helicases can be good antimalarial drug targets.
1
P. falciparum RuvB (PfRuvB) proteins are structural homologs of bacterial RuvB protein. Two homologs of RuvB in
Saccharomyces cerevisiae (scRuvBL1 and scRuvBL2) have been studied in detail and the knockout of scRuvBL1 demonstrated its essentiality in yeast growth.
2 Previously it has been reported that RuvB either itself or with the association of some interacting partner is involved in the holliday junction formation, branch migration and resolution of holliday junction in prokaryotes. It has also been well established that RuvBs are involved in the replication fork reversal both in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
Further studies in yeast and some other systems demonstrated that RuvBs are involved in multiple cellular pathways (), such as cell cycle progression and RNA polymerase II-directed transcription,
3 DNA damage response, replication fork reversal,
4 nonsense-mediated mRNA decay,
5 insulin stimulated GLUT4 translocation,
6 small nucleolar ribonucleotide protein (snoRNPs) assembly,
7,8 cellular transformation,
9 cancer metastasis, apoptosis, mitosis, and development.
10 RuvBs are essential components of several multiprotein complexes () and it is expected that their mode of function was very similar in these wide range of complexes.
8 Considering all the above roles and involvement in several important cellular pathways in different systems,
P. falciparum RuvB proteins are very similar to those of
S. cerevisiae essential RuvB like Protein and can be expected to play essential role in the parasite cell cycle progression and chromatin remodeling. Therefore it has been of recent interest to explore the RuvB family of proteins from
P. falciparum in detail and study their role in various activities in the malaria parasite. Emergence of drug-resistant
P. falciparum parasite severely affects the prevention and treatment of malaria (
Box 1). Thus it has been of current interest to identify novel drug target and new antimarials to fight the drug-resistant parasite. Recent work has shown that RuvBs have some role in cancer. A recent report showed that Reptin (RuvBL2) is required for the transcription of telomerase reverse transcriptase and is overexpressed in gastric cancer.
15 In another report, the in vivo silencing of Reptin (RuvB2) resulted in the blockage of human hepatocellular carcinoma and was associated with replicative senescence.
16 Here in this review we will focus on RuvB proteins of
P. falciparum, along with its homologs in yeast,
E. coli, human and other systems.
Box 1. Current scenario of prevention and treatment of P. falciparum infection
The current scenario for the prevention and treatment of malaria is becoming difficult due to the emergence of drug resistant
P. falciparum parasite. The first case of malarial drug chloroquine resistant parasite was reported in 1957 and consequently chloroquine had become futile for the treatment of malaria. Artemesinin combination therapies are currently being used to treat the uncomplicated
P. falciparum malaria in most of the malaria endemic countries (Guidelines for the treatment of malaria, second edition Geneva: WHO, 2011). Recently, it has also been reported that partial artemisinin-resistant
P. falciparum malaria has emerged.
11 The resistant strains have the potential to spread to different parts of the world and subsequently become a global threat for malaria control and treatment.
12 Despite the development of several artemisinin derivative drugs which are being used for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria
13 (Guidelines for the treatment of malaria, second edition Geneva: WHO, 2011), the control of malaria in endemic region is limited by drug resistance, relatively high cost and limited availability of newer drugs.
14 There are currently no alternative drugs to replace artemisinin derivatives. Considering the future problem and complication of drug resistant parasite, it is necessary to unravel the molecular aspects of pathogenesis of malaria in order to facilitate the development of novel approaches and identification of some novel targets for drug and vaccine candidates. Several efforts have been made to develop vaccine against malaria but their trials failed due to a number of problems while some are still under clinical trials. Like vaccine against malaria, it is equally important to develop next generation antimalarial to treat the drug resistant parasite.