A research team from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK), led by Arun K Shukla of the Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, have achieved the visualisation of the complete structure of the Duffy antigen receptor. This receptor protein, found on the surface of red blood cells and other cells in the human body acts as a gateway into the cell, facilitating infections by destructive pathogens like the malaria parasite, Plasmodium vivax and the bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus.
The research paper on the discovery, published in ‘Cell’, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, aims to aid scientists working in the field of antimicrobial drug resistance with new information to further their research. Given the rising challenges of drug-resistant infections, the visualisation of the structure of the Duffy receptor will pave the way for further research into novel therapies for drug-resistant malaria and Staphylococcus infections as well as infections like HIV.
The research team employed cryogenic-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to unveil the intricate architecture of the Duffy antigen receptor, throwing new light on the Duffy receptor’s unique structural features and distinguishing it from similar receptors in the human body. This detailed understanding will be crucial in the designing of highly targeted therapies that can effectively block infections without causing unwanted side effects.
The research team included Shirsha Saha, Jagannath Maharana, Saloni Sharma, Nashrah Zaidi, Annu Dalal, Sudha Mishra, Manisankar Ganguly, Divyanshu Tiwari, Ramanuj Banerjee, and Prof. Arun Kumar Shukla from IIT Kanpur. In addition, the team also included researchers from CDRI Lucknow, Zurich, Switzerland; Suwon, Republic of Korea; Tohoku, Japan; and Belfast, United Kingdom. This research was funded primarily by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), DBT Wellcome Trust India Alliance, and IIT Kanpur.