Unknown,Transcriptomics,Genomics,Proteomics

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Transcription profiling by array of Plasmodium berghei wild type and puf2 knock out in a time series

ABSTRACT: Many eukaryotic developmental and cell fate decisions are effected post-transcriptionally that mechanistically involve RNA binding proteins as regulators of translation of key mRNAs. In the unicellular eukaryote malaria parasite, Plasmodium, one of the most dramatic changes in cell morphology and function occurs during transmission between mosquito and human host. In the mosquito salivary glands, Plasmodium sporozoites are slender, motile and remain infectious for several weeks; only after transmission and liver cell invasion, does the parasite rapidly transform into a round, non-motile exo-erythrocytic form (EEF) that gives rise to thousands of infectious merozoites to be released into the blood stream. Here we demonstrate a Plasmodium homolog of the RNA binding protein, Pumilio, as a key regulator of the sporozoite to EEF transformation. In the absence of Pumilio-2 (Puf2) Plasmodium berghei sporozoites initiate early stage EEF development inside mosquito salivary glands with characteristic morphological changes; puf2- salivary gland sporozoites lose gliding motility, cell traversal ability and are less infective. Global expression profiling confirmed that transgenic parasites exhibit genome-wide transcriptional adaptations typical for Plasmodium intra-hepatic development. The data demonstrate that Puf2 is a key player in regulating developmental control, and imply that transformation of salivary gland-resident sporozoites into early liver stage parasites is regulated by a post-translational mechanism.

ORGANISM(S): Plasmodium berghei

SUBMITTER: Celine Carret

PROVIDER: E-TABM-1067 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress

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Project description:Simultaneous analysis of Plasmodium falciparum and Anopheles gambiae gene expression: an assessment of parasite maturation and of the mosquito response to infection. Malaria is probably the most lethal and most prevalent parasitic disease in the world, causing more than one million deaths per year. In spite of intensive research, no vaccine exists and good vaccine candidates are still a necessity. Plasmodium sporozoites from mosquito midguts are not as infective as those from salivary glands, presenting a different type of motility which is presumably associated with their invasive capacity. It is assumed that these differences are due to maturation of sporozoites, which happens either in the salivary glands or somewhere along the way from the midgut to the glands. Indeed, the invasion of the salivary gland is considered to be an essential step for malaria transmission to the host and it is known to causes expression of multiple genes in the parasite and activation of some immune-response genes in the insect. Here we compared the gene expression profile of P. falciparum parasites from midgut and salivary glands in order to search for genes involved in parasite maturation; on the assumption that any differentially expressed genes found under this condition could be potentially related to the higher infectivity of the salivary gland derived sporozoites and therefore would be potentially good vaccine candidates. Also, because very little is known about mosquito genes involved in the response to Plasmodium, we compared the gene expression profile of infected and uninfected midguts and salivary glands. Our results demonstrate that, upon infection, at least 13 genes are differentially expressed in the mosquito midgut and 43 in the salivary gland. Gene ontology enrichment analysis showed that among other things, in mosquito salivary glands, infection causes multiple genes related to chitin metabolism to be differentially expressed. Also and more importantly, at least 54 genes were differentially expressed in P. falciparum from salivary glands in comparison to midgut (19 down-regulated and 35 up-regulated). Last, we show for the first time that P. falciparum causes multiple genes in the salivary gland to be regulated and that some of those genes could be potentially beneficial to the parasite.

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Transcription profiling by array of Plasmodium berghei wild type and puf2 knock out in a time series

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