PF3D7_0618300

PF3D7_0618300 (L27a) is a structural constituent of the cytoplasmic 80S ribosome of Plasmodium falciparum, identified within the molecular architecture of the ribosome resolved by cryo-EM at 3.2 Å (PMID:24913268) and confirmed as a component of native ribosomes purified from schizonts that occupy multiple translational conformational states (PMID:26432834). In situ cryo-electron tomography places L27a within translationally active 80S ribosomes in their native cellular context inside infected erythrocytes (PMID:40825879). Beyond this membership in the cytoplasmic ribosome, no specific mechanistic function, binding partners, or post-translational modifications have been experimentally defined for L27a itself in the available corpus; every finding attributes L27a only as one component of the larger ribosome complex.

1. 2014 Medium

   Whether L27a was part of the P. falciparum cytoplasmic ribosome was resolved by placing it within the high-resolution architecture of the assembled 80S particle.

   Evidence Cryo-EM structure determination of the P. falciparum 80S ribosome at 3.2 Å resolution

   PMID:24913268

   Open questions at the time

   • Membership is inferred from the overall ribosome map; no functional experiment on L27a itself
   • No binding partners or post-translational modifications defined specifically for L27a
   • No role in ribosome assembly or translation attributed to L27a individually
2. 2015 Medium

   It was unclear whether L27a occupied the ribosome across functional states; capturing native schizont ribosomes in multiple translational conformations confirmed L27a as a stable component of the working particle.

   Evidence Cryo-EM reconstruction and flexible atomic-model fitting of ribosomes purified from P. falciparum schizonts

   PMID:26432834

   Open questions at the time

   • No functional experiment isolating L27a's contribution to the conformational cycle
   • Whether L27a movement participates in specific translation steps is unaddressed
   • No interaction map for L27a within the complex
3. 2025 Medium

   Whether L27a is present in ribosomes actively translating in the living cell was answered by resolving native ribosome states in situ, establishing L27a as part of the translationally active 80S ribosome in its cellular context.

   Evidence In situ cryo-electron tomography inside P. falciparum-infected human erythrocytes, with translation-inhibitor perturbation

   PMID:40825879

   Open questions at the time

   • The inhibitor and biogenesis findings are ribosome-level; no L27a-specific perturbation performed
   • No individual functional or regulatory role assigned to L27a
   • Post-translational modifications of L27a remain undefined

• It remains unknown whether L27a has any function, interaction, or regulatory role distinct from its structural membership in the 80S ribosome.
• No genetic knockdown or knockout of L27a reported
• No direct binding partners or substrates identified for L27a
• No post-translational modification or regulatory mechanism defined