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ABSTRACT: Background
Many genes of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum show clonally variant expression regulated at the epigenetic level. These genes participate in fundamental host-parasite interactions and contribute to adaptive processes. However, little is known about their expression patterns during human infections. A peculiar case of clonally variant genes are the 2 nearly identical clag3 genes, clag3.1 and clag3.2, which mediate nutrient uptake and are linked to resistance to some toxic compounds.Methods
We developed a procedure to characterize the expression of clag3 genes in naturally infected patients and in experimentally infected human volunteers.Results
We provide the first description of clag3 expression during human infections, which revealed mutually exclusive expression and identified the gene predominantly expressed. Adaptation to culture conditions or selection with a toxic compound resulted in isolate-dependent changes in clag3 expression. We also found that clag3 expression patterns were reset during transmission stages.Conclusions
Different environment conditions select for parasites with different clag3 expression patterns, implying functional differences between the proteins encoded. The epigenetic memory is likely erased before parasites start infection of a new human host. Altogether, our findings support the idea that clonally variant genes facilitate the adaptation of parasite populations to changing conditions through bet-hedging strategies.
SUBMITTER: Mira-Martinez S
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5407054 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Mira-Martínez Sofía S van Schuppen Evi E Amambua-Ngwa Alfred A Bottieau Emmanuel E Affara Muna M Van Esbroeck Marjan M Vlieghe Erika E Guetens Pieter P Rovira-Graells Núria N Gómez-Pérez Gloria P GP Gómez-Pérez Gloria P GP Alonso Pedro L PL D'Alessandro Umberto U Rosanas-Urgell Anna A Cortés Alfred A
The Journal of infectious diseases 20170301 6
<h4>Background</h4>Many genes of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum show clonally variant expression regulated at the epigenetic level. These genes participate in fundamental host-parasite interactions and contribute to adaptive processes. However, little is known about their expression patterns during human infections. A peculiar case of clonally variant genes are the 2 nearly identical clag3 genes, clag3.1 and clag3.2, which mediate nutrient uptake and are linked to resistance to some ...[more]