Affiliation:
1. Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
2. Host-Parasite Interaction Biology Laboratory, Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru
University, New Delhi, India
3. University of Petroleum & Energy Studies (UPES), Energy Acres Building,
Bidholi, Dehradun-248007, Uttarakhand, India
Abstract
The malaria parasite Plasmodium expresses four related papain-family cysteine
proteases. Targeting these different cysteine proteases can elucidate their roles and
potential as therapeutic targets, thereby expanding the pool of antimalarial targets. During
gametogenesis, cysteine proteases like SERA-5, SERA-3, DPAP-1, DPAP-2, DPAP-
3, and Falcipain-1 are required for parasitophorous vacuole membrane (PVM) rupture.
In the liver stage, cysteine proteases such as Falcipain-1 and SERA-3, SERA-4,
SERA-5, and SERA-6 are essential. Additionally, cysteine proteases like DPAP-3, Falcipain-
1, Falcipain-2, Falcipain-3, and SERA-5, SERA-6 play crucial roles in merozoite
invasion into red blood cells (RBCs), hemoglobin degradation, and merozoite release
from RBCs. This review summarizes the available literature describing the key roles of
various cysteine proteases in the life cycle of the malaria parasite and their potential as
targets for antimalarial therapy. Understanding these proteases could aid in developing
novel antimalarial treatments and overcoming drug resistance.
Publisher
Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.