DAAD project: Investigate the role of the 7-transmembrane proteins of malaria parasites
Duration: 4 years
Application period: 2015-2019
Doctorate: Emilie Joelle Njila Tchoufack
Summary:
The genome of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum encodes for at least seven proteins having a characteristic 7-transmembrane domain structure typical for G-protein coupled receptors. The project aims at funcationally characterizing three of these proteins, namely SR10, SR12 und 7-Helix-2. The particular focus will be:
- Investigate expression and localization of the proteins in the asexual blood stages and gametocytes via immunohistochemistry.
- Study the function of the proteins via gene-knockout and gene-knockdown approaches.
- Identify potential interaction partners of the proteins via co-immunoprecipitation assays.