Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of pyridoxal kinase from Plasmodium falciparum (PfPdxK)

Pyridoxal kinases (PdxK) catalyze the phosphorylation of vitamin B₆ precursors. Thus, these enzymes are an essential part of many metabolic processes in all organisms. The protozoan parasite Plasmodium falciparum (the main causative agent of Malaria tropica) possesses a unique de novo B₆-biosynthesis pathway in addition to a interconversion pathway based on the activity of plasmodial PdxK (PfPdxK). The role of PdxK in B₆ salvage has prompted previous authors to suggest PdxK as a promising target for structure-based antimalarial drug design. Here, the expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of PfPdxK are reported. PfPdxK crystals have been grown in space group P2₁, with unit-cell parameters a = 52.7, b = 62.0, c = 93.7 Å, β = 95°. A data set has been collected to 2 Å resolution and an initial molecular-replacement solution is described.