Zeitschrift für Infektionskrankheiten und Therapie

Abstrakt

Infection-Induced cAMP-Independent Regulation of Protein Kinase A (PKA)

Malak Haidar, Gordon Langsley

The regulation of cellular signaling pathways is crucial for maintaining cellular equilibrium and coordinating responses to parasite infections. Protein Kinase A (PKA) is a key player in cellular signaling involved in regulating these processes. Apicomplexa parasites, including Plasmodium falciparum and Theileria annulata, exploit PKA to promote infection-induced pathogenesis. In this commentary, we describe two alternative
mechanisms employed by these medically important parasites to regulate Protein Kinase A (PKA) activity independent of fluxes in cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP). Epigenetic regulation of PRKAR2B expression not only bypasses traditional cAMP-dependent regulation of PKA activity, but in doing so also provides new therapeutic targets for the potential treatment of malaria and tropical theileriosis.