9E7P | pdb_00009e7p

Pfs230 D13D14 in complex with nanobody W2812

• PDB DOI: https://doi.org/10.2210/pdb9E7P/pdb

• Classification: PROTEIN BINDING
• Organism(s): Vicugna pacos, Plasmodium falciparum 3D7
• Expression System: Escherichia coli, Spodoptera frugiperda
• Mutation(s): No 


• Deposited: 2024-11-03 Released: 2025-07-30 
• Deposition Author(s): Dietrich, M.H., Tan, L.L., Tham, W.H.
• Funding Organization(s): National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC, Australia)

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Experimental Data Snapshot

• Method: X-RAY DIFFRACTION
• Resolution: 3.22 Å
• R-Value Free: 
  0.320 (Depositor), 0.320 (DCC) 
• R-Value Work: 
  0.286 (Depositor), 0.286 (DCC) 
• R-Value Observed: 
  0.289 (Depositor) 

Starting Models: experimental, in silico

Literature

Cryo-EM structure of endogenous Plasmodium falciparum Pfs230 and Pfs48/45 fertilization complex.

Dietrich, M.H., Chmielewski, J., Chan, L.J., Tan, L.L., Adair, A., Lyons, F.M.T., Gabriela, M., Lopaticki, S., Dite, T.A., Dagley, L.F., Pazzagli, L., Gupta, P., Kamil, M., Vaughan, A.M., Rojrung, R., Abraham, A., Mazhari, R., Longley, R.J., Zeglinski, K., Gouil, Q., Mueller, I., Fabb, S.A., Shandre-Mugan, R., Pouton, C.W., Glukhova, A., Shakeel, S., Tham, W.H.

(2025) Science 389: eady0241-eady0241

• PubMed: 40743371 
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ady0241
• Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
  9E7N, 9E7O, 9E7P, 9MVT, 9MVV


• PubMed Abstract: 
  

  Malaria parasite fertilization occurs in the midgut of a female Anopheles mosquito. Blocking fertilization within the mosquito can prevent malaria transmission. Plasmodium falciparum Pfs230 and Pfs48/45 are critical for male fertility and transmission of the malaria parasite. They form a core fertilization complex, but it is unknown how they interact. We determined a cryo-electron microscopy structure of endogenous Pfs230-Pfs48/45 complex showing that Pfs48/45 interacts with Pfs230 domains 13 and 14. Transgenic parasite lines with these domains removed were defective in Pfs230 gamete localization and showed reduced oocyst formation. Nanobodies against domains 13 and 14 inhibited Pfs230-Pfs48/45 complex formation, reduced transmission and structural analyses revealed their epitopes. These Pfs230 domains were targets of naturally acquired immunity and immune sera from mRNA-lipid nanoparticle immunizations blocked parasite transmission.

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Organizational Affiliation: 
• The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia.
Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Department of Infectious Diseases, Doherty Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.
Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan.
Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, Australia.
School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia.
School of Global Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia.
Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia.
ARC Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia.
Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.

Biological Assembly 1  

Global Symmetry: Asymmetric - C1 
Global Stoichiometry: Hetero 2-mer - A1B1 

Biological assembly 1 assigned by authors and generated by PISA (software)

Biological Assembly Evidence: gel filtration

Macromolecule Content 

• Total Structure Weight: 48.83 kDa 
• Atom Count: 3,147 
• Modeled Residue Count: 404 
• Deposited Residue Count: 421 
• Unique protein chains: 2

Macromolecules

Entity ID: 1
Molecule	Chains	Sequence Length	Organism	Details	Image
Nanobody W2812	A	133	Vicugna pacos	Mutation(s): 0

Entity ID: 2
Molecule	Chains	Sequence Length	Organism	Details	Image
Gametocyte surface protein P230	B	288	Plasmodium falciparum 3D7	Mutation(s): 0  Gene Names: PFS230, PF230, S230, PF3D7_0209000
UniProt
Find proteins for P68874 (Plasmodium falciparum (isolate 3D7)) Explore P68874  Go to UniProtKB:  P68874
Glycosylation
Glycosylation Sites: 1

Oligosaccharides

Help

Entity ID: 3
Molecule	Chains	Length	2D Diagram	Glycosylation	3D Interactions
beta-D-mannopyranose-(1-4)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranose-(1-4)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranose	C	3		N-Glycosylation
Glycosylation Resources
GlyTouCan:  G15407YE GlyCosmos:  G15407YE GlyGen:  G15407YE

Small Molecules

Ligands 1 Unique
ID	Chains	Name / Formula / InChI Key	2D Diagram
CIT	D [auth A]	CITRIC ACID C6 H8 O7 KRKNYBCHXYNGOX-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Experimental Data & Validation

Experimental Data

• Method: X-RAY DIFFRACTION
• Resolution: 3.22 Å
• R-Value Free:  0.320 (Depositor), 0.320 (DCC) 
• R-Value Work:  0.286 (Depositor), 0.286 (DCC) 
• R-Value Observed: 0.289 (Depositor) 

Space Group: P 4₁ 2₁ 2

Unit Cell:

Length ( Å )	Angle ( ˚ )
a = 134.647	α = 90
b = 134.647	β = 90
c = 75.74	γ = 90

Software Package:

Software Name	Purpose
PHENIX	refinement
XDS	data scaling
XDS	data reduction
PHASER	phasing

Structure Validation

Entry History & Funding Information

Deposition Data

• Released Date: 2025-07-30 
Deposition Author(s): Dietrich, M.H., Tan, L.L., Tham, W.H.

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Funding Organization	Location	Grant Number
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC, Australia)	Australia	APP2001385
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC, Australia)	Australia	APP2016908

Revision History  

• Version 1.0: 2025-07-30
  Type: Initial release
  
• Version 1.1: 2025-08-13
  Changes: Database references
• Version 1.2: 2025-09-24
  Changes: Database references