Plasmodium Niemann-Pick type C1-related protein is a druggable target required for parasite membrane homeostasis

Plasmodium parasites possess a protein with homology to Niemann-Pick Type C1 proteins (Niemann-Pick Type C1-Related protein, NCR1). We isolated parasites with resistance-conferring mutations in Plasmodium falciparum NCR1 (PfNCR1) during selections with three diverse small-molecule antimalarial compounds and show that the mutations are causative for compound resistance. PfNCR1 protein knockdown results in severely attenuated growth and confers...