Site histones. The only member of the P. falciparum histone code reading machinery described to date, PfHP1, binds to H3K9me3 via its chromo domain [26,38], providing a positive control for these experiments. Purified GST protein was used as a negative control. As expected, GST-HP1CD 1379592 bound to the purified parasite histones, while GST alone did not. Both the putative 143-3 proteins, GST-14-3-3I and GST-14-3-3II clearly bound purified parasite histones (Figure 4A). This result indicates that both the Pf14-3-3 proteins, like the PfHP1 chromo domain, are indeed able to 1113-59-3 cost interact with purified parasite histones. Next, we determined which specific phosphorylation site(s) are responsible for 14-3-3 recognition. Proteins AZ-876 containing 14-3-3 domains are known to bind histone H3 phosphorylated at Ser-10 and/or Ser-28 residues [36,39,40]. Binding of GST-14-3-3I and GST-14-3-3II to different synthetic peptides, either unmodified, trimethylated at H3K9, or phosphorylated at positions H3S10 and H3S28 (Table 2), was measured by ELISA. Since adjacent histonemodifications are known to affect binding of a protein to a particular modification [41], we included two dually modified peptides, H3S10phK14ac and H3S28phS32ph (Table 2), which we had observed in our mass spectrometry analysis on purified parasite histones (Table 1). GST-HP1CD was used as positive control. Clear binding of GST-HP1CD to the H3K9me3 peptide was observed, while it did not bind unmodified H31?0 peptide or any of the other synthetic peptides used in this study (Figure 4B). Likewise, GST-14-3-3I clearly bound H3S28ph and H3S28phS32ph peptides (figure 4B). Much lower levels of binding were observed between GST-14-3-3I and unmodified H31?0, unmodified H321?0, H3K9me3, H3S10ph or dually modified H3S10phK14ac peptides. Though GST-14-3-3II protein clearly bound purified parasite histones, it did not bind any of the peptides used in this binding assay to a level comparable to that with which GST-HP1CD bound H3K9me3 or GST-14-3-3I bound H3S28ph and H3S28phS32ph peptides. We detected low level binding of Pf14-3-3II to all the peptides used in this study.Histone Phosphorylation in P. falciparumFigure 4. 14-3-3 protein binding studies to native histones and phosphorylated histone H3 peptides. A) Interaction between purified histone sample and GST-tagged recombinant Pf14-3-3I, Pf14-3-3II, and Pf-HP1-CD was observed by ELISA-based binding assay. B) Binding of GST-143-3I and GST-14-3-3II to different synthetic peptides listed in Table 2 was tested by ELISA-based binding assay. C) ELISA-based binding assay was performed with GST-14-3-3I and phosphatase treated and untreated H3S28ph and H3S28phS32ph peptides. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0053179.gWe used a similar ELISA approach to confirm that the observed binding of GST-14-3-3I to phosphorylated peptides H3S28ph and H3S28phS32ph was indeed due to phosphorylation. 0.5 mg phosphorylated H3S28ph and H3S28phS32ph peptides were bound to the plate. H3K9me3 peptide was used as control peptide. All the peptides were then treated with l-phosphatase (Pptase) 11967625 [NEB, P0753S]. Control wells with same peptides were incubated with phosphatase reaction buffer without l-phosphatase. Binding of GST-14-3-3I to both the H3S28ph and H3S28phS32ph peptides was greatly reduced when the peptides were phospha-tase-treated, while clear binding was observed when no phosphatase was added to the peptides (Figure 4C). In a similar ELISA based assay, the same peptides were probed with ant.Site histones. The only member of the P. falciparum histone code reading machinery described to date, PfHP1, binds to H3K9me3 via its chromo domain [26,38], providing a positive control for these experiments. Purified GST protein was used as a negative control. As expected, GST-HP1CD 1379592 bound to the purified parasite histones, while GST alone did not. Both the putative 143-3 proteins, GST-14-3-3I and GST-14-3-3II clearly bound purified parasite histones (Figure 4A). This result indicates that both the Pf14-3-3 proteins, like the PfHP1 chromo domain, are indeed able to interact with purified parasite histones. Next, we determined which specific phosphorylation site(s) are responsible for 14-3-3 recognition. Proteins containing 14-3-3 domains are known to bind histone H3 phosphorylated at Ser-10 and/or Ser-28 residues [36,39,40]. Binding of GST-14-3-3I and GST-14-3-3II to different synthetic peptides, either unmodified, trimethylated at H3K9, or phosphorylated at positions H3S10 and H3S28 (Table 2), was measured by ELISA. Since adjacent histonemodifications are known to affect binding of a protein to a particular modification [41], we included two dually modified peptides, H3S10phK14ac and H3S28phS32ph (Table 2), which we had observed in our mass spectrometry analysis on purified parasite histones (Table 1). GST-HP1CD was used as positive control. Clear binding of GST-HP1CD to the H3K9me3 peptide was observed, while it did not bind unmodified H31?0 peptide or any of the other synthetic peptides used in this study (Figure 4B). Likewise, GST-14-3-3I clearly bound H3S28ph and H3S28phS32ph peptides (figure 4B). Much lower levels of binding were observed between GST-14-3-3I and unmodified H31?0, unmodified H321?0, H3K9me3, H3S10ph or dually modified H3S10phK14ac peptides. Though GST-14-3-3II protein clearly bound purified parasite histones, it did not bind any of the peptides used in this binding assay to a level comparable to that with which GST-HP1CD bound H3K9me3 or GST-14-3-3I bound H3S28ph and H3S28phS32ph peptides. We detected low level binding of Pf14-3-3II to all the peptides used in this study.Histone Phosphorylation in P. falciparumFigure 4. 14-3-3 protein binding studies to native histones and phosphorylated histone H3 peptides. A) Interaction between purified histone sample and GST-tagged recombinant Pf14-3-3I, Pf14-3-3II, and Pf-HP1-CD was observed by ELISA-based binding assay. B) Binding of GST-143-3I and GST-14-3-3II to different synthetic peptides listed in Table 2 was tested by ELISA-based binding assay. C) ELISA-based binding assay was performed with GST-14-3-3I and phosphatase treated and untreated H3S28ph and H3S28phS32ph peptides. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0053179.gWe used a similar ELISA approach to confirm that the observed binding of GST-14-3-3I to phosphorylated peptides H3S28ph and H3S28phS32ph was indeed due to phosphorylation. 0.5 mg phosphorylated H3S28ph and H3S28phS32ph peptides were bound to the plate. H3K9me3 peptide was used as control peptide. All the peptides were then treated with l-phosphatase (Pptase) 11967625 [NEB, P0753S]. Control wells with same peptides were incubated with phosphatase reaction buffer without l-phosphatase. Binding of GST-14-3-3I to both the H3S28ph and H3S28phS32ph peptides was greatly reduced when the peptides were phospha-tase-treated, while clear binding was observed when no phosphatase was added to the peptides (Figure 4C). In a similar ELISA based assay, the same peptides were probed with ant.