Kinetics of Plasmodium falciparum thymidylate synthase: interactions with high-affinity metabolites of 5-fluoroorotate and D1694.

Consistent with a proposed mechanism for the potent antimalarial activity of 5-fluoroorotate, 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridylate inhibited Plasmodium falciparum thymidylate synthase with a Ki of 2 nM. Steady-state kinetics revealed no significant differences between malarial and mammalian thymidylate synthases. Thus, additional biochemical parameters must underlie the selective antimalarial activity of 5-fluoroorotate. A polyglutamylated folate analog, D1694-(glu)4, was also a potent inhibitor of malarial thymidylate synthase (Kis = 1.5 nM).