Molecular cloning and characterization of a second calcium-dependent protein kinase of Plasmodium falciparum.

by our andother groups. One of these, PfCPK, belongs to thefamily of calcium-dependent protein kinases(CDPKs), which have only been found in plantsand protists [1,2]. Since CDPKs do not exist invertebrates, they represent promising targets forantimalarial therapy.CDPKs consist of a catalytic Ser:Thr kinasedomain, a linker region, and four calcium-bindingEF-hands. As this structure implies, they dependon Ca