Mechanistic insights into coordinated var transcriptional switching in malaria parasites

ABSTRACT: The exceptional virulence of the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, is attributed to the adhesive properties of infected red blood cells and the parasite's ability to avoid antibody recognition through antigenic variation. Both properties are derived from the hypervariable surface protein PfEMP1, which is encoded by members of the multi-copy var gene family. Waves of parasitemia during an infection are thought to correspond to var transcriptional switching, enabling parasites to avoid elimination by antibodies targeting previously expressed forms of PfEMP1. The mechanisms underlying and regulating var transcriptional switching remain incompletely understood. Here, we show how transient activation of the var2csa locus mediates var switching, while the expression of non-coding RN

SUBMITTER: Joseph, E Visone 

PROVIDER: S-SCDT-10_1038-S44318-026-00751-X | biostudies-other |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other