Acyl carrier protein is essential for apicoplast biogenesis in malaria parasites independent of fatty acid synthesis.

Acyl carrier protein is vital for apicoplast biogenesis in Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage parasites, independent of its role in fatty acid synthesis, with knockout being lethal.

• Why it matters: Understanding the essential functions of ACP beyond fatty acid biosynthesis addresses gaps in malaria parasite biology and could reveal new drug targets for malaria treatment.
• What they did: The study used genetic knockouts, ligand-dependent knockdowns, proximity biotinylation, and biochemical interaction analyses to investigate ACP's role, focusing on its interaction with apicoplast pyruvate kinase II (PKII).
• The result: Loss of ACP destabilizes PKII, impairing isoprenoid precursor synthesis and apicoplast biogenesis, highlighting ACP's critical, FASII-independent role in maintaining apicoplast function and parasite viability.