In vivo transcriptional profiling of Plasmodium falciparum

• Published in: Malaria Journal
• Main Authors: Sultan Ali, Mboup Soulyemane, Ndir Omar, Zhou Yingyao, Fang Xuemin, Sarr Ousmane, Le Roch Karine G, Daily Johanna P, Winzeler Elizabeth A, Wirth Dyann F
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2004
• Subjects: Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-3-30; https://doaj.org/article/ec73661e164a4e48a0efa3dbdd0fd225

Abstract Background Both host and pathogen factors contribute to disease outcome in Plasmodium falciparum infection. The feasibility of studying the P. falciparum in vivo transcriptome to understand parasite transcriptional response while it resides in the human host is presented. Methods A custom made oligonucleotide array with probes based on the P. falciparum 3D7 laboratory strain chromosome 2 sequence was used to detect in vivo P. falciparum transcripts. This study analyzed transcripts from total RNA derived from small blood samples of P. falciparum infected patients and compared the in vivo expression profile to the in vitro cultivated 3D7 strain transcriptome. Results The data demonstrated that in vivo transcription can be studied from a small blood sample, despite the abundance of human RNA. The in vivo transcriptome is similar to the 3D7 ring stage transcriptome, but there are significant differences in genes encoding a sexual stage antigen and surface proteins. Conclusions Whole genome transcription analysis of P. falciparum can be carried out successfully and further studies in selected patient cohorts may provide insight into parasite in vivo biology and defense against host immunity.