Project description:In order to study the role of chromatin remodeling in transcriptional regulation associated with the progression of the P. falciparum intraerythrocytic development cycle (IDC), we mapped the temporal pattern of chromosomal association with histone H3 and H4 modifications using chromatin-immunoprecipitation coupled to microarray (ChIP-on-chip). Genome-wide distribution of 13 histone modifications for 6 h time points of the 48 h P. falciparum IDC was done using ChIP-on-chip and compared to corresponding transcriptional profiles across the genome
Project description:In order to study the role of chromatin remodeling in transcriptional regulation associated with the progression of the P. falciparum intraerythrocytic development cycle (IDC), we mapped the temporal pattern of chromosomal association with histone H3 and H4 modifications using chromatin-immunoprecipitation coupled to microarray (ChIP-on-chip).
Project description:The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum employs intricate post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms in different stages of its life cycle. Despite the importance of post-transcriptional regulation, key elements of these processes, namely RNA binding proteins (RBPs), are poorly characterized. In this study, the RNA binding properties of P. falciparum proteins were characterized including two putative members of the Bruno/CELF family of RBPs (PfCELF1 and PfCELF2), dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (PfDHFR-TS), and adenosine deaminase (PfAda).The mRNA targets of these P. falciparum proteins were investigated by ribonomics using DNA microarrays.
Project description:In order to further our understanding of the metabolic network of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, we carried out a concurrent transcriptomic and metabolomic study of the parasite's intraerythrocytic developmental cycle. These microarray data were generated to compare the expression levels of metabolic enzymes to the concentrations of their associated metabolites over the 48-hour life cycle.
Project description:The blood-stage infection of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, exhibits a 48-hour developmental cycle that culminates in the synchronous release of parasites from red blood cells, triggering 48-hour fever cycles in the host. This cycle could be driven extrinsically by host circadian processes, or by a parasite-intrinsic oscillator. To distinguish between hypotheses, we examined the P. falciparum cycle in an in vitro culture system that lacks extrinsic cues from the host and show that P. falciparum has molecular signatures associated with circadian and cell-cycle oscillators. Each of four strains examined has a unique period, indicating strain-intrinsic period control. Finally, we demonstrate that parasites have low cell-to-cell variance in cycle period, on par with a circadian oscillator. We conclude that an intrinsic oscillator is responsible for Plasmodium’s rhythmic life cycle.
