title: Identification of a transcription factor in the mosquito-invasive stage of malaria parasites.
abstract: Gene expression in Plasmodium parasites undergoes significant changes in each developmental stage, but the transcription factors (TFs) regulating these changes have not been identified. We report here a Plasmodium TF (AP2-O) that activates gene expression in ookinetes, the mosquito-invasive form, and has a DNA-binding domain structurally related to that of a plant TF, Apetala2 (AP2). AP2-O mRNA is pre-synthesized by intraerythrocytic female gametocytes and translated later during ookinete development in the mosquito. The Plasmodium TF activates a set of genes, including all genes reported to be required for midgut invasion, by binding to specific six-base sequences on the proximal promoter. These results indicate that AP2 family TFs have important roles in stage-specific gene regulation in Plasmodium parasites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Zoology, Mie University School of Medicine, Mie, Tsu, 514-0001, Japan. m-yuda@doc.medic.mie-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yuda
authors.forename: Shiroh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwanaga
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shigenobu
authors.forename: Gunnar R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Mair
authors.forename: Chris J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Janse
authors.forename: Andrew P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Izumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kaneko
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D009033:Culicidae / Q000469:parasitology*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D050656:Transcription Factor AP-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D050656:Transcription Factor AP-2