TAF10

PF3D7_0522200 (TAF10) is a predicted TFIID-associated subunit of Plasmodium falciparum that participates in an atypical transcription initiation module rather than a classical TFIID complex (PMID:16042788, PMID:31728527). It was originally identified computationally as a putative ortholog of TFIID subunit TAF10, in an analysis that found no P. falciparum TAFs bearing classical histone-fold domains, indicating an unusual architecture for the parasite TFIID (PMID:16042788). Interaction proteomics subsequently placed TAF10 within a co-purifying TAF complex that includes BDP5/TAF1, TAF2, and a WD-repeat hTAF5 homolog (PF3D7_1138800) together with five apicomplexan-specific proteins; notably, this complex does not detectably associate with either P. falciparum TBP homolog, arguing that TAF10 acts in an alternative, non-canonical initiation module (PMID:31728527). Beyond its membership in this complex, no direct molecular activity, structural detail, or transcriptional function has been characterized for TAF10 itself in the available corpus.

1. 2005 Low

   Establishing whether P. falciparum encodes recognizable TFIID subunits addressed whether the parasite possesses conventional basal transcription machinery; the analysis identified TAF10 as a candidate while revealing that classical histone-fold TAFs are absent.

   Evidence Computational sequence analysis (HCA and PSI-BLAST profile methods) in P. falciparum

   PMID:16042788

   Open questions at the time

   • Prediction only — no experimental validation that PF3D7_0522200 functions as a TAF10 ortholog
   • Does not establish complex membership, localization, or transcriptional activity
   • Unusual TFIID architecture inferred from absence of histone-fold TAFs, not directly demonstrated
2. 2019 Medium

   Whether the predicted TAF10 physically assembles into a TFIID-like complex was unknown; interaction proteomics showed it co-purifies with BDP5/TAF1, TAF2, an hTAF5 homolog, and apicomplexan-specific proteins but not with either TBP homolog, establishing TAF10 as part of a non-canonical initiation module rather than a classical TFIID.

   Evidence Immunoprecipitation followed by quantitative mass spectrometry (IP-MS/MS) in P. falciparum

   PMID:31728527

   Open questions at the time

   • Single Co-IP/MS experiment from one lab without reciprocal pull-down anchored on TAF10 itself
   • Direct role of TAF10 within the complex (structural, stabilizing, or regulatory) not defined
   • Functional consequence of the absent TBP interaction for transcription initiation not tested

• The intrinsic molecular activity of TAF10, its requirement for parasite viability, and the genes or promoters regulated by its non-canonical TAF complex remain undefined.
• No loss-of-function or essentiality data for TAF10 specifically
• No structural model of the parasite TAF complex or of TAF10 within it
• No identification of target promoters or transcriptional output of the module