9MVV | pdb_00009mvv

Pfs230 (D9-D14) with Pfs48/45 of the endogenous Pfs230-Pfs48/45 complex

• PDB DOI: https://doi.org/10.2210/pdb9MVV/pdb
• EM Map EMD-48673: EMDB EMDataResource

• Classification: PROTEIN BINDING
• Organism(s): Plasmodium falciparum
• Mutation(s): No 


• Deposited: 2025-01-16 Released: 2025-07-30 
• Deposition Author(s): Dietrich, M.H., Glukhova, A., Shakeel, S., Tham, W.H.
• Funding Organization(s): National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC, Australia)

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Experimental Data Snapshot

• Method: ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
• Resolution: 3.36 Å
• Aggregation State: PARTICLE 
• Reconstruction Method: SINGLE PARTICLE 

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 (software)

Biological Assembly Evidence: gel filtration

Macromolecule Content 

• Total Structure Weight: 412.21 kDa 
• Atom Count: 10,436 
• Modeled Residue Count: 1,394 
• Deposited Residue Count: 3,556 
• Unique protein chains: 2

Macromolecules

Entity ID: 1
Molecule	Chains	Sequence Length	Organism	Details	Image
Gametocyte surface protein P230	A	3,135	Plasmodium falciparum	Mutation(s): 0
UniProt
Find proteins for P68874 (Plasmodium falciparum (isolate 3D7)) Explore P68874  Go to UniProtKB:  P68874

Entity ID: 2
Molecule	Chains	Sequence Length	Organism	Details	Image
Gametocyte surface protein P45/48	B [auth C]	421	Plasmodium falciparum	Mutation(s): 0
UniProt
Find proteins for Q8I6T1 (Plasmodium falciparum (isolate 3D7)) Explore Q8I6T1  Go to UniProtKB:  Q8I6T1

Experimental Data & Validation

Experimental Data

• Method: ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
• Resolution: 3.36 Å
• Aggregation State: PARTICLE 
• Reconstruction Method: SINGLE PARTICLE 

Structure Validation

Entry History & Funding Information

Deposition Data

• Released Date: 2025-07-30 
Deposition Author(s): Dietrich, M.H., Glukhova, A., Shakeel, S., 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: Data collection, Database references
• Version 1.2: 2025-09-24
  Changes: Data collection, Database references