Project description:Abstract: The mitochondrial electron transport chain is essential to Plasmodium and is the target of the antimalarial drug atovaquone. The mitochondrial genomes of Plasmodium sp. are the most reduced known, and the majority of mitochondrial proteins are encoded in the nucleus and imported into the mitochondrion post-translationally. Many organisms have signalling pathways between the mitochondria and the nucleus to regulate the expression of nuclear-encoded mitochondrially-targeted proteins, for example in response to mitochondrial dysfunction. We have studied the gene expression profiles of synchronous Plasmodium falciparum treated with an LD50 concentration of the complex III inhibitor antimycin A, to investigate whether such pathways exist in the parasite. There was a broad perturbation of gene expression. Some effects were attributable to a delay in the gene expression phase of drug-treated parasites. However, our data also indicated regulation of mitochondrial stress response genes and genes involved in pyrimidine biosynthesis. 3 biological replicates each for treated and untreated: control (1/2000 DMSO) and LD50 antimycin A, respectively. Normalised microarray data for antimycin A-treated parasites were contrasted against untreated (DMSO) controls.
Project description:Investigation of whole genome gene expression level changes in Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 delta-PfPuf2 mutant, compared to the wild-type strain 3D7. The mutation engineered into this strain render tanslational control. The mutants analyzed in this study are further described in Miao J, Li J, Fan Q, Li X, Li X, Cui L.2010. The Puf-family RNA-binding protein PfPuf2 regulates sexual development and sex differentiation in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. J Cell Sci. 123(7):1039-49 (PMID 20197405). A 12 chip study using total RNA recovered from six separate wild-type cultures of Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 at gametocyte stage III (three cultures) and stage V (three cultures) and six separate cultures of dalta PfPuf2 mutant at gametocyte stage III (three cultures) and stage V (three cultures). Each chip measures the expression level of 5,367 genes from Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 with 45-60 mer probes with two replicates on final array of 71618 probes.
Project description:Abstract: The mitochondrial electron transport chain is essential to Plasmodium and is the target of the antimalarial drug atovaquone. The mitochondrial genomes of Plasmodium sp. are the most reduced known, and the majority of mitochondrial proteins are encoded in the nucleus and imported into the mitochondrion post-translationally. Many organisms have signalling pathways between the mitochondria and the nucleus to regulate the expression of nuclear-encoded mitochondrially-targeted proteins, for example in response to mitochondrial dysfunction. We have studied the gene expression profiles of synchronous Plasmodium falciparum treated with an LD50 concentration of the complex III inhibitor antimycin A, to investigate whether such pathways exist in the parasite. There was a broad perturbation of gene expression. Some effects were attributable to a delay in the gene expression phase of drug-treated parasites. However, our data also indicated regulation of mitochondrial stress response genes and genes involved in pyrimidine biosynthesis.
Project description:In malaria infection, Plasmodium spp. parasites accumulate in the bone marrow near sites of erythroid development. While it has been observed that Plasmodium falciparum infection of late-stage erythroblasts can delay terminal erythroid differentiation and enucleation, the mechanism(s) underlying this phenomenon are unknown. Here, we apply RNA-seq after fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) of infected erythroblasts to identify transcriptional responses to direct and indirect interaction with P. falciparum.
Project description:Investigation of whole genome gene expression level changes in Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 delta-PfPuf2 mutant, compared to the wild-type strain 3D7. The mutation engineered into this strain render tanslational control. The mutants analyzed in this study are further described in Miao J, Li J, Fan Q, Li X, Li X, Cui L.2010. The Puf-family RNA-binding protein PfPuf2 regulates sexual development and sex differentiation in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. J Cell Sci. 123(7):1039-49 (PMID 20197405).
Project description:Transcriptomic Analysis of Cultured Sporozoites of P. falciparum RNA-seq reads from each of three developmental stages (2 replicates per sample) were mapped to the reference Plasmodium falciparum genome, and gene expression levels were calculated for each sample.
Project description:Investigation of whole genome gene expression level in Plasmodium falciparum male and female mature gametocytes, and detection of any transcriptional differences between male and female gametocytes. The Plasmodium falciparum parasite with green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression under the control of alpha tubulin II promoter facilitated the separation of male and female gametocyte. This engineered parasite strain in this study are further described in Miao J, Fan Q, Parker D, Li X, Li J, et al. (2013) Puf Mediates Translation Repression of Transmission-Blocking Vaccine Candidates in Malaria Parasites. PLoS Pathog 9(4): e1003268. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003268