biostudies-literatureAmit-Avraham IEuropean Research CouncilE982-91https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC4352787biostudies-literatureUnknown112(9)The virulence of Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of the deadliest form of human malaria, is attributed to its ability to evade human immunity through antigenic variation. These parasites alternate between expression of variable antigens, encoded by members of a multicopy gene family named var. Immune evasion through antigenic variation depends on tight regulation of var gene expression, ensuring that only a single var gene is expressed at a time while the rest of the family is maintained transcriptionally silent. Understanding how a single gene is chosen for activation is critical for understanding mutually exclusive expression but remains a mystery. Here, we show that antisense long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) initiating from var introns are associated with the single active var gProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of AmericaAntisense long noncoding RNAs regulate var gene activation in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.PMC4352787615412Fastman YKolevzon NYavin EPozner GDzikowski RAmit-Avraham IEshar SfalseAntisense long noncoding RNAs regulate var gene activation in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.The virulence of Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of the deadliest form of human malaria, is attributed to its ability to evade human immunity through antigenic variation. These parasites alternate between expression of variable antigens, encoded by members of a multicopy gene family named var. Immune evasion through antigenic variation depends on tight regulation of var gene expression, ensuring that only a single var gene is expressed at a time while the rest of the family is maintained transcriptionally silent. Understanding how a single gene is chosen for activation is critical for understanding mutually exclusive expression but remains a mystery. Here, we show that antisense long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) initiating from var introns are associated with the single active var g2015-01-01T00:00:00Z2015 Mar2025-04-18T15:29:45.953Z2019-03-27T01:47:46ZS-EPMC43527872569174310.1073/pnas.1420855112