ArticleScientific reports2024
Identification of domains in Plasmodium falciparum proteins of unknown function using DALI search on AlphaFold predictions.
Article in Scientific reports, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed.
- Integrative sequence-structure analysis reveals hidden WD40 domains forming stable β-propeller folds with potential biological functions in plants.Plant communications · 2026Article
- Deciphering Membrane Protein Complexes in Plasmodium falciparum Gametocytes via Integrative Structural Systems Biology.Molecular & cellular proteomics : MCP · 2026Article
- A bridge-like lipid transfer protein is critical for generation of invasive stages in malaria parasites.Nature communications · 2026Article
- CysDuF database: annotation and characterization of cysteine residues in domain of unknown function proteins based on cysteine post-translational modifications, their protein microenvironments, biochemical pathways, taxonomy, and diseases.Database : the journal of biological databases and curation · 2026Article
- Towards an evolutionary baseline model ofbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- An essential adaptor for apicoplast fission and inheritance in malaria parasites.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Plasmodium actin-like proteins are essential for DNA segregation during male gametogenesis and malaria transmission.PLoS pathogens · 2025Article
- PlasmoFP: leveraging deep learning to predict protein function of uncharacterized proteins across the malaria parasite genus.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- An Essential Adaptor for Apicoplast Fission and Inheritance in Malaria Parasites.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- A dynamic barrier: remodeling of the nuclear envelope during closed mitosis in malaria parasites.mSphere · 2025Review
- An atypical Arp2/3 complex is required for Plasmodium DNA segregation and malaria transmission.Nature microbiology · 2025Article
- The Kelch13 compartment contains highly divergent vesicle trafficking proteins in malaria parasites.PLoS pathogens · 2023Article
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2 authors.
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Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of malaria, poses a significant global health challenge, yet much of its biology remains elusive. A third of the genes in the P. falciparum genome lack annotations regarding their function, impeding our understanding of the parasite's biology. In this study, we employ structure predictions and the DALI search algorithm to analyse proteins encoded by uncharacterized genes in the reference strain 3D7 of P. falciparum. By comparing AlphaFold predictions to experimentally determined protein structures in the Protein Data Bank, we found similarities to known domains in 353 proteins of unknown function, shedding light on their potential functions. The lowest-scoring 5% of similarities were additionally validated using the size-independent TM-align algorithm, confirming the detected similarities in 88% of the cases. Notably, in over 70 P. falciparum proteins the presence of domains resembling heptatricopeptide repeats, which are typically involvement in RNA binding and processing, was detected. This suggests this family, which is important in transcription in mitochondria and apicoplasts, is much larger in Plasmodium parasites than previously thought. The results of this domain search provide a resource to the malaria research community that is expected to inform and enable experimental studies.
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