Table 1.
Comparison of P. falciparum and P. berghei protein and metabolite characteristics involved in glutathione metabolism.
| P. falciparum | P. berghei | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein/Gene ID | Characteristics | Characteristics |
| Glutathione reductase (GR) Pf3D7_1419800.1; PBANKA_102340 | Genetic validation: not done Chemical validation: essential in RBC stages [73] Location: cytoplasm and apicoplast [39] | Genetic validation: essential for sexual development [72] Chemical validation: not conclusive Location: not analysed |
| Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) | Genetic validation: only possible in presence of | Genetic validation: not essential in any life cycle stage |
| Pf3D7_0923800.1; PBANKA_082470 | expression plasmid [74] | |
| Chemical validation: essential in RBC stages [75] | Chemical validation: | |
| Location: cytoplasm and mitochondrion [39] | Location: not investigated | |
| Glutathione S-transferase 1 (GST1) | Genetic validation: not done | Genetic validation: not done |
| Pf3D7_1419300; PBANKA_102390 | Chemical validation: essential in RBC stages [76] | Chemical validation: not conclusive [76,77] |
| Location: predicted to be cytoplasmic | Location: not analysed | |
| No increase of activity with drug resistance [56] | Increased activity correlates with drug resistance [78,79,80] | |
| Has antioxidant activity [56] | Not assessed | |
| Glutathione S-transferase 2 (EXP1) | Location: parasitophorous vacuolar membrane [54] | Protein was not studied with respect to GSH metabolism |
| Pf3D7_1121600; PBANKA_092670 | Involved in heme and drug detoxification | |
| Antioxidant activity not determined | ||
| Essentiality not determined | ||
| γ-Glutamylcysteine synthetase (γGCS) | Genetic validation: impossible to KO gene [44] | Genetic validation: essential for sexual development [67] |
| Pf3D7_0918900; PBANKA_081980 | Chemical validation: specific inhibition with BSO is | Chemical validation: specific inhibition does not affect |
| lethal in RBC stages | parasite viability—not essential in RBC stages | |
| Location: cytoplasm | Location: not studied | |
| GSH and drug resistance | GSH levels elevated in some drug resistant parasites [41,81] | GSH levels elevated in drug resistant parasites [78,79] |
| GSH levels reduced in isogenic drug resistant | ||
| parasites [45] |