Knockdown of the Plasmodium falciparum SURFIN4.1 antigen leads to an increase of its cognate transcript.

ABSTRACT: The genome of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum contains the surf gene family which encodes large transmembrane proteins of unknown function. While some surf alleles appear to be expressed in sexual stages, others occur in asexual blood stage forms and may be associated to virulence-associated processes and undergo transcriptional switching. We accessed the transcription of surf genes along multiple invasions by real time PCR. Based on the observation of persistent expression of gene surf4.1, we created a parasite line which expresses a conditionally destabilized SURFIN4.1 protein. Upon destabilization of the protein, no interference of parasite growth or morphological changes were detected. However, we observed a strong increase in the transcript quantities of surf4.1 and sometim

SUBMITTER: Macedo-Silva T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5553854 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature