Succinate dehydrogenase in Plasmodium falciparum mitochondria:: molecular characterization of the SDHA and SDHB genes for the catalytic subunits, the flavoprotein (Fp) and iron-sulfur (Ip) subunits

DNA, as well as almost all the conserved amino acids indispensable for substrate binding and the catalytic reaction were found in these peptides, indicating the functional importance of this enzyme in the parasite. Interestingly, a P. falciparum-specific insertion and a unicellular organism-specific deletion were found in the amino acid sequence of Fp. This is the first report of the primary structure of the protozoan succinate dehydrogenase. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.