P. falciparum transcriptomic changes upon compound 5ac treatment
Malaria remains a major global health threat, and the emergence of multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum underscores the urgent need for antimalarial agents with novel mechanisms of action. Histone deacetylases HDACs play essential roles in the epigenetic regulation of parasite development and virulence. In this project, we investigated a quisinostat-derived compound 1ac with potent antiplasmodial activity. Transcriptomic profiling of treated P. falciparum parasites revealed widespread dysregulation of genes involved in parasite invasion, protein metabolism, and host-parasite interactions. These transcriptional alterations are consistent with the inhibition of the parasite histone deacetylase PfHDAC1, suggesting that interference with epigenetic regulation contributes to the observed growth suppression.