Plasmodium falciparum cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase (PfPKG)

Plasmodium falciparum cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase (PfPKG) is a key signaling enzyme essential for the survival and transmission of the malaria parasite. It plays a central role in regulating critical life cycle transitions, including the egress of merozoites from infected red blood cells and the invasion of new erythrocytes (Baker et al., 2017, PubMed: 28814318). PfPKG also governs the activation of gametocytes, making it a target for both treating active infections and blocking transmission to mosquitoes (McRobert et al., 2008, PubMed: 18541554). Structurally, PfPKG contains four cGMP-binding sites and a kinase domain with a small gatekeeper residue (threonine), which distinguishes it from human PKG and allows for the design of selective inhibitors (Donald et al., 2002, PubMed: 12145310). Inhibition of PfPKG results in a rapid block of the parasite life cycle, preventing the progression of the disease (UniProt: Q966Z1). Due to its multi-stage importance, it is considered a high-priority target for next-generation antimalarial therapies (Alam et al., 2015, PubMed: 25855210).

Other names

Protein kinase GcGMP-dependent protein kinasePfPKGPKG

Inhibition of the catalytic activity of the kinase, preventing the phosphorylation of downstream substrates required for parasite egress and invasion.