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Unravelling the role of Aurora kinases in cell cycle regulation of malaria parasites

Dissertation (MSc (Biochemistry))--University of Pretoria, 2018.

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Other Authors: Birkholtz, Lyn-Marie
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2025
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Birkholtz, Lyn-Marie
author_browse Birkholtz, Lyn-Marie
author_facet Birkholtz, Lyn-Marie
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Dissertation (MSc (Biochemistry))--University of Pretoria, 2018.
format Thesis
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:40:35.305Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2025
publishDateRange 2025
publishDateSort 2025
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
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source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/107170 Unravelling the role of Aurora kinases in cell cycle regulation of malaria parasites Birkholtz, Lyn-Marie u11228271@tuks.co.za Niemand, Jandeli Abrie, Clarissa UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Malaria Plasmodium Cell cycle Aurora kinases Dissertation (MSc (Biochemistry))--University of Pretoria, 2018. The P. falciparum parasite’s life cycle, and implied cell cycle, is strictly controlled allowing the parasite to rapidly develop during the intraerythrocytic stages alternating DNA synthesis and mitosis during endocyclic schizogony. This results in asynchronous nuclear divisions to form multinucleated schizonts during mitosis. However, mitotic nuclear division in P. falciparum parasites remain poorly understood. Several mitotic kinases of the P. falciparum kinome, such as aurora related kinases (ARKs), have been suggested to be cell cycle regulators. The PfARKs are essential for intraerythrocytic stages of the Plasmodium parasite of which PfARK-1 are highly conserved and associated with spindle pole bodies (SPB) during schizogony. The role of PfARK associated with SPB in cell cycle regulation of P. falciparum parasites has been understudied, despite the close link to centrosome and bipolar microtubule dynamics, chromosome segregation and cytokinesis of Aurora kinases in various other organisms. Knowledge gaps regarding the parasite’s cell cycle regulatory mechanisms is mostly due to the complexity associated with cell cycle compartment synchronisation of the parasite under in vitro conditions. In this dissertation, an innovative approach is used for cell cycle compartmentalisation of parasites as a tool to interrogate the importance of PfARK in cell cycle regulation during the intraerythrocytic stages of the parasite through hesperadin-induced PfARK inhibition. Collectively, this dissertation provides extensive insight to PfARK cell cycle regulation during parasite asynchronous nuclear division associated with M-phase progression, chromosomal segregation and spindle formation. The data demonstrate that novel cell cycle regulatory mechanisms of mitotic kinases, such as PfARKs and their involved pathways, serve as attractive future drug targets in Plasmodium parasites. Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology (BGM) MSc (Biochemistry) Unrestricted Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences SDG-03: Good health and well-being 2025-12-09T12:48:10Z 2025-12-09T12:48:10Z 2019-04-24 2018-11 Dissertation * A2019 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/107170 en © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle UCTD
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Malaria
Plasmodium
Cell cycle
Aurora kinases
Unravelling the role of Aurora kinases in cell cycle regulation of malaria parasites
title Unravelling the role of Aurora kinases in cell cycle regulation of malaria parasites
title_full Unravelling the role of Aurora kinases in cell cycle regulation of malaria parasites
title_fullStr Unravelling the role of Aurora kinases in cell cycle regulation of malaria parasites
title_full_unstemmed Unravelling the role of Aurora kinases in cell cycle regulation of malaria parasites
title_short Unravelling the role of Aurora kinases in cell cycle regulation of malaria parasites
title_sort unravelling the role of aurora kinases in cell cycle regulation of malaria parasites
topic UCTD
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Malaria
Plasmodium
Cell cycle
Aurora kinases
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/107170