title: The Plasmodium PHIST and RESA-Like Protein Families of Human and Rodent Malaria Parasites.
abstract: The phist gene family has members identified across the Plasmodium genus, defined by the presence of a domain of roughly 150 amino acids having conserved aromatic residues and an all alpha-helical structure. The family is highly amplified in P. falciparum, with 65 predicted genes in the genome of the 3D7 isolate. In contrast, in the rodent malaria parasite P. berghei 3 genes are identified, one of which is an apparent pseudogene. Transcripts of the P. berghei phist genes are predominant in schizonts, whereas in P. falciparum transcript profiles span different asexual blood stages and gametocytes. We pursued targeted disruption of P. berghei phist genes in order to characterize a simplistic model for the expanded phist gene repertoire in P. falciparum. Unsuccessful attempts to disrupt P. berghei PBANKA_114540 suggest that this phist gene is essential, while knockout of phist PBANKA_122900 shows an apparent normal progression and non-essential function throughout the life cycle. Epitope-tagging of P. falciparum and P. berghei phist genes confirmed protein export to the erythrocyte cytoplasm and localization with a punctate pattern. Three P. berghei PEXEL/HT-positive exported proteins exhibit at least partial co-localization, in support of a common vesicular compartment in the cytoplasm of erythrocytes infected with rodent malaria parasites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10021, United States of America.
authors.forename: Cristina K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10021, United States of America.
authors.forename: Bernina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Naissant
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10010, United States of America.
authors.forename: Alida
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coppi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10010, United States of America.
authors.forename: Brandy L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aime
authors.affiliation: Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Blandine
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Franke-Fayard
authors.affiliation: Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Chris J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Janse
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, United States of America.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Coppens
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10010, United States of America.|Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, United States of America.
authors.forename: Photini
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sinnis
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10021, United States of America.|Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Templeton
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000469:parasitology*; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D010271:Parasites / Q000378:metabolism*; D021381:Protein Transport; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012377:Rodentia
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger