Unraveling the interaction between a glycolytic regulator protein EhPpdk and an anaphase promoting complex protein EhApc10: yeast two hybrid screening, in vitro binding assays and molecular simulation study

The anaphase promoting complex (APC or cyclosome) is a major ubiquitin ligase that coordinates mitotic and G1 progression, acting as a major regulator of chromosome segregation. While the human APC contains fourteen subunits, it is yet to be explored in the pathogen Entamoeba histolytica. Our study reveals the existence of a single functional Apc10 homolog in E. histolytica, which acts as a processivity factor of ubiquitin ligase activity in human. A cDNA library generated from HM1:IMSS strain of E. histolytica was screened for interaction partners of EhApc10 in yeast two hybrid study. The novel interactor, a glycolytic enzyme, pyruvate phosphate dikinase (Ppdk) was found to interact with EhApc10 and further validated by in vitro assay. A comprehensive in silico study has emphasized the structural and functional aspects, encompassing physicochemical traits, predictive 3D structure modelling, validation of EhApc10-EhPpdk interaction through molecular docking and simulation. The interplay between a cell cycle protein and a glycolytic enzyme highlights the connection between cellular metabolism and the cell cycle regulatory mechanism. The study serves as the groundwork for future research on the non-mitotic role of APC beyond cell cycle.