AUTHOR=Rotella David , Siekierka John , Bhanot Purnima 

TITLE=Plasmodium falciparum cGMP-Dependent Protein Kinase – A Novel Chemotherapeutic Target

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.610408

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2020.610408

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>The primary effector of cGMP signaling in <italic>Plasmodium</italic> is the cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG). Work in human-infective <italic>Plasmodium falciparum</italic> and rodent-infective <italic>Plasmodium berghei</italic> has provided biological validation of <italic>P. falciparum</italic> PKG (PfPKG) as a drug target for treating and/or protecting against malaria. PfPKG is essential in the asexual erythrocytic and sexual cycles as well as the pre-erythrocytic cycle. Medicinal chemistry efforts, both target-based and phenotype-based, have targeted PfPKG in the past few years. This review provides a brief overview of their results and challenges.</p>