In vivo transcriptional profiling of Plasmodium falciparum.
BACKGROUND
Both host and pathogen factors contribute to disease outcome in Plasmodium falciparum infection. The feasibility of studying the P. falciparum in vivo transcriptome to understand parasite transcriptional response while it resides in the human host is presented.


METHODS
A custom made oligonucleotide array with probes based on the P. falciparum 3D7 laboratory strain chromosome 2 sequence was used to detect in vivo P. falciparum transcripts. This study analyzed transcripts from total RNA derived from small blood samples of P. falciparum infected patients and compared the in vivo expression profile to the in vitro cultivated 3D7 strain transcriptome.


RESULTS
The data demonstrated that in vivo transcription can be studied from a small blood sample, despite the abundance of human RNA. The in vivo transcriptome is similar to the 3D7 ring stage transcriptome, but there are significant differences in genes encoding a sexual stage antigen and surface proteins.


CONCLUSIONS
Whole genome transcription analysis of P. falciparum can be carried out successfully and further studies in selected patient cohorts may provide insight into parasite in vivo biology and defense against host immunity.
Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. jdaily@partners.org
Johanna P
JP
Daily
Karine G
KG
Le Roch
Ousmane
O
Sarr
Xuemin
X
Fang
Yingyao
Y
Zhou
Omar
O
Ndir
Soulyemane
S
Mboup
Ali
A
Sultan
Elizabeth A
EA
Winzeler
Dyann F
DF
Wirth
D000818:Animals; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000469:parasitology*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000469:parasitology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D016053:RNA, Protozoan; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal