The catalytic subunit of Plasmodium falciparum casein kinase 2 is essential for gametocytogenesis

Abstract

Hitz et al. describe the role of the protein kinase PfCK2α in the development of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Using mutant parasites, they show that PfCK2α is not only essential for asexual but also sexual development of P. falciparum blood stage parasites, and hence it may hold promise as a potential target for antimalarial drugs.