- Briefly, summarize the purpose of the study by Xiao et al. What was the major objective of the
study? - Summarize the methods used to study plasmepsin V in the article. Be specific.
- How was; a) specificity of the enzyme determined and b) how did the authors confirm that the
enzyme used was pure and that the correct substrate was used by the enzyme? c) cleavage site
specificity was identified for the enzyme. How was this determined? What controls were used in
the assays? - Specify the fragment of the protein used in the study, whether native or recombinant protein was
used, and the types of substrates and inhibitors used in the study. What type of enzyme is
plasmepsin V? - How was the enzyme characterized? What mutations were studied and what features, e. g. Km,
kcat, Vmax, were investigated in the kinetic analysis of the enzyme? - When the authors report that the enzyme had a pH optimum of between 5.5 and 7.0, what does
this mean with regards to the function of the enzyme and its interaction with substrate? - Explain figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7. What do these results mean?
- What major conclusions were obtained from the study?