The Metabolite Repair Enzyme Phosphoglycolate Phosphatase Regulates Central Carbon Metabolism and Fosmidomycin Sensitivity in Plasmodium falciparum

Abstract

Members of the haloacid dehalogenase (HAD) family of metabolite phosphatases play an important role in regulating multiple pathways in Plasmodium falciparum central carbon metabolism. We show that the P. falciparum HAD protein, phosphoglycolate phosphatase (PGP), regulates glycolysis and pentose pathway flux in asexual blood stages via detoxifying the damaged metabolite 4-phosphoerythronate (4-PE). Disruption of the P. falciparum pgp gene caused accumulation of two previously uncharacterized metabolites, 2-phospholactate and 4-PE. 4-PE is a putative side product of the glycolytic enzyme, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and its accumulation inhibits the pentose phosphate pathway enz..