A Prioritized and Validated Resource of Mitochondrial Proteins in <i>Plasmodium</i> Identifies Unique Biology
Selma L. van Esveld, Lisette Meerstein‐Kessel, Cas Boshoven, Jochem F. Baaij, Konstantin Barylyuk, Jordy P. M. Coolen, Joeri van Strien, R.A.J. Duim, Bas E. Dutilh, Daniel Garza, Marijn Letterie, Nicholas I. Proellochs, Michelle N. de Ridder, Prashanna Balaji Venkatasubramanian, Laura E. de Vries, Ross F. Waller, Taco W. A. Kooij, Martijn A. Huynen
Abstract
The unique biology and medical relevance of the mitochondrion of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum have made it the subject of many studies. However, we actually do not have a comprehensive assessment of which proteins reside in this organelle. Many omics data are available that are predictive of mitochondrial localization, such as proteomics data and expression data. Individual data sets are, however, rarely complete and can provide conflicting evidence. We integrated a wide variety of available omics data in a manner that exploits the relative strengths of the data sets. Our analysis gave a predictive score for the mitochondrial localization to each nuclear encoded P. falciparum protein and identified 445 likely mitochondrial proteins. We experimentally validated the mitochondrial localization of seven of the new mitochondrial proteins, confirming the quality of the complete list. These include proteins that have not been observed mitochondria before, adding unique mitochondrial functions to P. falciparum.