The study of phylloquinone and phytol metabolism in Plasmodium falciparum

• Grant number: 15/07423-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: October 01, 2015
• End date: September 30, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Parasitology - Protozoology of Parasites
• Principal Investigator: Alejandro Miguel Katzin
• Grantee: Rodrigo Antonio Ceschini Sussmann
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 16/18056-0 - Synthesis of fatty acid phytyl esters, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

Among the infectious diseases that affect humans, malaria is the one with the highest mortality rate of more than 500 000 deaths recorded in 2013. To compound the public health situation has been described the emergence of resistance to commonly drugs used in the treatment of disease. Therefore it is necessary to identify and study of new antimalarial targets. In general, this project aims to determine in vitro the phylloquinone plays a role in the parasite redox system by comparing levels of oxidative stress between treated and untreated cultures with a drug known to inhibit the vitamin K1 cycle, the warfarin. We will investigate the fate phytol present in infected erythrocytes, since it presents in plants a tightly regulated metabolism, which depending on some conditions, it may be recycled to chlorophyll, vitamins E and K, compose cell membranes or used in post-translational changes. With this knowledge of the parasite physiology, we want to provide the scientific community with a rational approach to combating the disease.