| Full text | |
| Author(s): |
Total Authors: 2
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| Affiliation: | [1] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Ciencias Farmaceut, Dept Anal Clin & Toxicol, BR-05508900 Sao Paulo - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 1
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| Document type: | Review article |
| Source: | INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES; v. 22, n. 22 NOV 2021. |
| Web of Science Citations: | 0 |
| Abstract | |
Throughout evolution, the need for single-celled organisms to associate and form a single cluster of cells has had several evolutionary advantages. In complex, multicellular organisms, each tissue or organ has a specialty and function that make life together possible, and the organism as a whole needs to act in balance and adapt to changes in the environment. Sensory organs are essential for connecting external stimuli into a biological response, through the senses: sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch. The G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are responsible for many of these senses and therefore play a key role in the perception of the cells' external environment, enabling interaction and coordinated development between each cell of a multicellular organism. The malaria-causing protozoan parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, has a complex life cycle that is extremely dependent on a finely regulated cellular signaling machinery. In this review, we summarize strong evidence and the main candidates of GPCRs in protozoan parasites. Interestingly, one of these GPCRs is a sensor for K+ shift in Plasmodium falciparum, PfSR25. Studying this family of proteins in P. falciparum could have a significant impact, both on understanding the history of the evolution of GPCRs and on finding new targets for antimalarials. (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 17/08684-7 - Decoding Plasmodium signaling at molecular level as a new tool to the development of new antimalarials |
| Grantee: | Célia Regina da Silva Garcia |
| Support Opportunities: | Research Projects - Thematic Grants |
| FAPESP's process: | 18/07177-7 - EMU concedido no processo 2011/51295-5: image system |
| Grantee: | Célia Regina da Silva Garcia |
| Support Opportunities: | Multi-user Equipment Program |