Antioxidant defense in Plasmodium falciparum – data mining of the transcriptome

Abstract The intraerythrocytic malaria parasite is under constant oxidative stress originating both from endogenous and exogenous processes. The parasite is endowed with a complete network of enzymes and proteins that protect it from those threats, but also uses redox activities to regulate enzyme a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Malaria Journal
Main Authors: Ginsburg Hagai, Bozdech Zbynek
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: BMC 2004
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-3-23
https://doaj.org/article/3b0e97c10eb847269960d289e08266f5
Description
Summary:Abstract The intraerythrocytic malaria parasite is under constant oxidative stress originating both from endogenous and exogenous processes. The parasite is endowed with a complete network of enzymes and proteins that protect it from those threats, but also uses redox activities to regulate enzyme activities. In the present analysis, the transcription of the genes coding for the antioxidant defense elements are viewed in the time-frame of the intraerythrocytic cycle. Time-dependent transcription data were taken from the transcriptome of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum . Whereas for several processes the transcription of the many participating genes is coordinated, in the present case there are some outstanding deviations where gene products that utilize glutathione or thioredoxin are transcribed before the genes coding for elements that control the levels of those substrates are transcribed. Such insights may hint to novel, non-classical pathways that necessitate further investigations.