Transcriptional differences in polymorphic and conserved domains of a complete cloned P. falciparum chromosome.
Classical genetic studies on the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum have been hampered by a complex life cycle which alternates between vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. Consequently, only a few genetic crosses have been performed so far. In addition, molecular genetics has provided only limited access to the genes of this pathogen, a consequence of an unusually high A + T content. To overcome these limitations we have constructed an ordered telomere-to-telomere contig map of P. falciparum chromosome 2 by isolating overlapping yeast artificial chromosome clones. This approach was used to examine the strain-dependent polymorphisms commonly observed for P. falciparum chromosomes. Our analysis reveals that polymorphisms of chromosome 2 are restricted to regions at either end, representing 20% of the chromosome. Transcription mapping of the entire chromosome suggests a compartmentalization of chromosome 2 into a transcribed central domain and silent polymorphic ends.
Lanzer
M
M
DeWitt Wallace Research Laboratory, Sloan-Kettering Institute, Division of Molecular Biology, New York, New York 10021.
de Bruin
D
D
Ravetch
J V
JV
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D015825:Chromosomes, Fungal; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific; D015723:Gene Library; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D016054:DNA, Protozoan; C025651:CCCGGG-specific type II deoxyribonucleases; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific