DNA gyrase in plants and plasmodial parasites

DNA topoisomerase VI is an enzyme that was originally discovered in archaea but has more recently been found in plants (Arabidopsis thaliana) and malaria parasites (Plasmodium falciparum). Rather little is known about this enzyme but it has key roles in plant growth and development and in the plasmodium life cycle. We will characterise this enzyme, initially from the archeon Methanosarcina mazei, and learn more about the reactions that it catalyses. We will then characterise topo VI enzymes from A. thaliana and P. falciparum and investigate their role in plants and plasmodia. We will go on to develop inhibitors of the enzyme, specifically we aim to screen libraries of compounds and investigate the mechanism of action of compounds that are found to inhibit the enzyme.