A transcriptional switch underlies commitment to sexual development in malaria parasites.

ABSTRACT: The life cycles of many parasites involve transitions between disparate host species, requiring these parasites to go through multiple developmental stages adapted to each of these specialized niches. Transmission of malaria parasites (Plasmodium spp.) from humans to the mosquito vector requires differentiation from asexual stages replicating within red blood cells into non-dividing male and female gametocytes. Although gametocytes were first described in 1880, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in commitment to gametocyte formation is extremely limited, and disrupting this critical developmental transition remains a long-standing goal. Here we show that expression levels of the DNA-binding protein PfAP2-G correlate strongly with levels of gametocyte formation. Using in

SUBMITTER: Kafsack BF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4040541 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature