Malaria virulence genes controlling expression through chromatin modification.
Mutually exclusive expression within the var gene family of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is important for parasite survival and virulence. In this issue of Cell, Duraisingh et al. and Freitas-Junior et al. provide evidence for the role of Sir2-dependent alterations in chromatin structure and changes in subnuclear chromatin localization in regulating var gene expression (Duraisingh et al., 2005; Freitas-Junior et al., 2005).
Deitsch
Kirk W
KW
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, 1300 York Avenue, Box 62, New York, New York 10021, USA.
D000818:Animals; D000940:Antigenic Variation / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D002451:Cell Compartmentation / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D020868:Gene Silencing / Q000276:immunology*; D017125:Genes, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000235:genetics / Q000469:parasitology*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D006570:Heterochromatin