OSCP

PF3D7_1310000 (OSCP) is a canonical subunit of the mitochondrial ATP synthase in Plasmodium falciparum, localizing to the mitochondrion of blood-stage parasites and assembling as part of a large (>1 MDa) dimeric ATP synthase complex in mitochondrial membranes (PMID:21984828). Beyond its mitochondrial localization and membership in the assembled ATP synthase complex, the individual mechanistic role of OSCP within the complex has not been characterized in the available corpus.

1. 2011 Medium

   Whether OSCP is expressed and correctly targeted in P. falciparum was unknown; epitope-tagging established that it localizes to the parasite mitochondrion and is a bona fide component of an assembled, high-molecular-weight ATP synthase complex.

   Evidence Epitope-tagging with immunofluorescence localization and blue native gel electrophoresis of mitochondrial membranes in P. falciparum blood stages

   PMID:21984828

   Open questions at the time

   • OSCP was studied as one of seven subunits collectively; its individual functional contribution to the complex was not dissected
   • No genetic knockout or knockdown to test essentiality of OSCP itself
   • No structural or biochemical characterization of OSCP's role in complex assembly or ATP synthesis

• The specific mechanistic role of OSCP within the P. falciparum ATP synthase — its contribution to complex assembly, coupling, or catalysis — remains undefined in the available corpus.
• No experiment isolates OSCP function apart from the whole complex
• No essentiality or interaction-mapping data specific to OSCP