We released another preprint!

Summary

The Plasmodium falciparum sodium efflux pump PfATP4 is a leading antimalarial target, but suffers from a lack of high-resolution structural information needed to identify functionally important features in conserved regions and guide rational design of next generation inhibitors. Here, we determine a 3.7Å cryoEM structure of PfATP4 purified from CRISPR-engineered P. falciparum parasites, revealing a previously unknown, apicomplexan-specific binding partner, PfABP, which forms a conserved, likely modulatory interaction with PfATP4. The discovery of PfABP presents a new avenue for designing novel PfATP4 inhibitors.

We’re incredibly proud of this team effort done in collaboration with Akhil Vaidya and Anurag Shukla in the Vaidya Lab at Drexel. Check it out!