A comprehensive survey of the Plasmodium life cycle by genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses.
Plasmodium berghei and Plasmodium chabaudi are widely used model malaria species. Comparison of their genomes, integrated with proteomic and microarray data, with the genomes of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium yoelii revealed a conserved core of 4500 Plasmodium genes in the central regions of the 14 chromosomes and highlighted genes evolving rapidly because of stage-specific selective pressures. Four strategies for gene expression are apparent during the parasites' life cycle: (i) housekeeping; (ii) host-related; (iii) strategy-specific related to invasion, asexual replication, and sexual development; and (iv) stage-specific. We observed posttranscriptional gene silencing through translational repression of messenger RNA during sexual development, and a 47-base 3' untranslated region motif is implicated in this process.
Hall
Neil
N
Pathogen Sequencing Unit, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK. nhall@tigr.org
Karras
Marianna
M
Raine
J Dale
JD
Carlton
Jane M
JM
Kooij
Taco W A
TW
Berriman
Matthew
M
Florens
Laurence
L
Janssen
Christoph S
CS
Pain
Arnab
A
Christophides
Georges K
GK
James
Keith
K
Rutherford
Kim
K
Harris
Barbara
B
Harris
David
D
Churcher
Carol
C
Quail
Michael A
MA
Ormond
Doug
D
Doggett
Jon
J
Trueman
Holly E
HE
Mendoza
Jacqui
J
Bidwell
Shelby L
SL
Rajandream
Marie-Adele
MA
Carucci
Daniel J
DJ
Yates
John R
JR
Kafatos
Fotis C
FC
Janse
Chris J
CJ
Barrell
Bart
B
Turner
C Michael R
CM
Waters
Andrew P
AP
Sinden
Robert E
RE
D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000469:parasitology; D019295:Computational Biology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D020868:Gene Silencing; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D018503:Genome, Protozoan; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D008288:Malaria / Q000469:parasitology; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D016788:Plasmodium chabaudi / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D010967:Plasmodium yoelii / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D020543:Proteome / Q000032:analysis*; D040901:Proteomics; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D020543:Proteome; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016053:RNA, Protozoan