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Molecular mechanisms of parasite motility
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Our publications

Here are some key publications from our work.

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For a full list, see PubMed or Inari's page.

Selected publications:

Hung YF, Chen Q, Pires I, Han H, Rosenthal PB & Kursula I (2023) Structure of Toxoplasma gondii glideosome-associated connector suggests a role as an elastic element in actomyosin force generation for gliding motility. Preprint available on bioRxiv: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.12.09.519741.

Dans MG, Piirainen H, Nguyen W, Khurana S, Mehra S, Razook Z, Geoghegan ND, Dawson AT, Das S, Schneider MP, Jonsdottir TK, Gabriela M, Gancheva MR, Tonkin C, Mollard V, Goodman CD, McFadden GI, Wilson DW, Rogers KL, Barry AE, Crabb BS, de-Koning-Ward TF, Sleebs BE, Kursula I & Gilson PR (2023) The sulfonylpiperazine MMV020291 prevents red blood cell invasion by the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum through interference with actin-1/profilin dynamics. PLoS Biol 21: e3002066.

Lopez AJ, Andreadaki M, Vahokoski J, Deligianni E, Calder LJ, Camerini S, Freitag A, Bergmann U, Rosenthal PB, Sidén-Kiamos I & Kursula I (2023) Structure and function of Plasmodium actin II in the parasite mosquito stages. PLoS Pathog 19: e1011174.

Pires I, Hung YF, Bergmann U, Molloy JE & Kursula I (2022) Analysis of Plasmodium falciparum myosin B ATPase activity and structure in complex with the calmodulin-like domain of its light chain MLC-B. J Biol Chem 298: 102634.

Vahokoski J, Calder L, Lopez AJ, Molloy JE, Kursula I & Rosenthal PB (2022) High-resolution structures of malaria parasite actomyosin and actin filaments. PLoS Pathog 18: e1010408.

Bendes ÁÁ, Kursula P & Kursula I (2022) Structure and function of an atypical homodimeric actin capping protein from the malaria parasite. Cell Mol Life Sci 79: 125.

Moreau CA, Quadt KA, Piirainen H, Kumar H, Bhargav SP, Strauss L, Tolja NH, Wade RC, Spatz JP, Kursula I & Frischknecht F (2020) Optical tweezers uncover a function of profilin in force generation during malaria parasite motility independent of actin binding. J Cell Sci 134: jcs233775.

Kumpula EP, Lopez AJ, Tajedin L, Han H & Kursula I (2019) Atomic view into Plasmodium actin polymerization, ATP hydrolysis, and fragmentation. PLoS Biol 17: e3000315.

Mukherjee B, Tessaro F, Vahokoski J, Kursula I, Marq JB, Scapozza L & Soldati-Favre D (2018) Modeling and resistant alleles explain the selectivity of compound 49c towards apicomplexan aspartyl proteases. EMBO J 37: e98047.

Pino P, Caldelari R, Mukherjee B, Vahokoski J, Klages N, Maco B, Collins CR, Kursula I, Blackman MJ, Heussler V, Brochet M & Soldati-Favre D (2017) A multi-stage antiplasmodial targets the plasmepsins IX and X essential for invasion and egress. Science 358: 522-528.

Green JL, Wall RJ, Vahokoski J, Yusuf NA, Ridzuan MAM, Stanway RR, Stock J, Knuepfer E, Brady D, Martin SR, Howell SA, Pires IP, Moon RW, Molloy JE, Kursula I, Tewari R & Holder AA (2017) Compositional and expression analyses of the glideosome during the Plasmodiumlife cycle reveal an additional myosin light chain required for maximum motility. J Biol Chem 292: 17857-17875.

Kumpula EP, Pires IP, Lasiwa D, Piirainen H, Bergmann U, Vahokoski J & Kursula I (2017) Apicomplexan actin polymerization depends on nucleation. Sci Rep 7: 12137.

Pospich S, Kumpula EP, von der Ecken J, Vahokoski J, Kursula I & Raunser S (2017) Near-atomic structure of jasplakinolide-stabilized malaria parasite F-actin reveals the structural basis of filament instability. Proc Natl Acad Sci 114: 10636-10641.

Moreau C, Bhargav SP, Kumar H, Quadt KA, Piirainen H, Strauss L, Kehrer J, Streichfuss M, Spatz J, Wade R, Kursula I & Frischknecht F (2017) A unique profilin-actin interface is important for malaria parasite motility. PLoS Pathog 13: e1006412.

Jacot D, Tosetti N, Pires IP, Stock J, Graindorge A, Hung YF, Han H, Tewari R, Kursula I & Soldati-Favre D (2016) An apicomplexan actin-binding protein serves as a connector and lipid sensor to coordinate motility and invasion. Cell Host Microbe 20: 731-743.

Mueller C, Samoo A, Hammoudi PM, Klages N, Kallio JP, Kursula I & Soldati-Favre D (2016) Structural and functional dissection of Toxoplasma gondii armadillo repeats only protein. J Cell Sci 129: 1031-1045.

Bhargav SP, Vahokoski J, Kallio JP, Torda A, Kursula P & Kursula I (2015) Two independently folding units of Plasmodium profilin suggest evolution via gene fusion. Cell Mol Life Sci 72: 4193-4203.

Salamun J, Kallio JP, Daher W, Soldati-Favre D & Kursula I (2014) Structure of Toxoplasma gondii coronin – an actin-binding protein that relocalizes to the posterior pole of invasive parasites and contributes to invasion and egress. FASEB J 28: 4729-4747.

Vahokoski J, Bhargav SP, Desfosses A, Andreadaki M, Kumpula EP, Muñico Martinez S, Ignatev A, Lepper S, Frischknecht F, Sidén-Kiamos I, Sachse C & Kursula I (2014) Structural differences explain diverse functions of Plasmodium actins. PLoS Pathog 10: e1004091.

Singh BK, Sattler JM, Chatterjee M, Huttu J, Schüler H & Kursula I (2011) Crystal structures explain functional differences in the two actin depolymerization factors of the malaria parasite. J Biol Chem 286: 28256-28264.

Kursula I, Kursula P, Ganter M, Panjikar S, Matuschewski K & Schüler H (2008) Structural basis for parasite‐specific functions of the divergent profilin of Plasmodium falciparumStructure 16: 1638-1648.