ApiAP2 Factors as Candidate Regulators of Stochastic Commitment to Merozoite Production in Theileria annulata.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Differentiation of one life-cycle stage to the next is critical for survival and transmission of apicomplexan parasites. A number of studies have shown that stage differentiation is a stochastic process and is associated with a point that commits the cell to a change over in the pattern of gene expression. Studies on differentiation to merozoite production (merogony) in T. annulata postulated that commitment involves a concentration threshold of DNA binding proteins and an auto-regulatory loop.

Principal findings

In this study ApiAP2 DNA binding proteins that show changes in expression level during merogony of T. annulata have been identified. DNA motifs bound by orthologous domains in Plasmodium were found to be enriched in upstream regions of stage-regulated T.

SUBMITTER: Pieszko M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4537280 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature