# name
The Apicomplexa-specific glucosamine-6-phosphate
                N-acetyltransferase gene family encodes a key enzyme for
                glycoconjugate synthesis with potential as therapeutic target

# metadata.dc.description.abstract[].value
Apicomplexa form a phylum of obligate parasitic protozoa of
                great clinical and veterinary importance. These parasites
                synthesize glycoconjugates for their survival and infectivity,
                but the enzymatic steps required to generate the glycosylation
                precursors are not completely characterized. In particular,
                glucosamine-phosphate N-acetyltransferase (GNA1) activity,
                needed to produce the essential UDP-N-acetylglucosamine
                (UDP-GlcNAc) donor, has not been identified in any Apicomplexa.
                We scanned the genomes of Plasmodium falciparum and
                representatives from six additional main lineages of the phylum
                for proteins containing the Gcn5-related N-acetyltransferase
                (GNAT) domain. One family of GNAT-domain containing proteins,
                composed by a P. falciparum sequence and its six apicomplexan
                orthologs, rescued the growth of a yeast temperature-sensitive
                GNA1 mutant. Heterologous expression and in vitro assays
                confirmed the GNA1 enzymatic activity in all lineages. Sequence,
                phylogenetic and synteny analyses suggest an independent origin
                of the Apicomplexa-specific GNA1 family, parallel to the
                evolution of a different GNA1 family in other eukaryotes. The
                inability to disrupt an otherwise modifiable gene target
                suggests that the enzyme is essential for P. falciparum growth.
                The relevance of UDP-GlcNAc for parasite viability, together
                with the independent evolution and unique sequence features of
                Apicomplexa GNA1, highlights the potential of this enzyme as a
                selective therapeutic target against apicomplexans.

# metadata.dc.relation.ispartof[].value
Scientific Reports, 2018, vol. 8, num. 4005

# metadata.dc.source[].value
Articles publicats en revistes (ISGlobal)

# metadata.dc.title[].value
The Apicomplexa-specific glucosamine-6-phosphate
                N-acetyltransferase gene family encodes a key enzyme for
                glycoconjugate synthesis with potential as therapeutic target