Using_scRNA_seq_to_examine_transcriptional_variation_in_the_malaria_parasite_ookinete_stage-sc-6266
Using_scRNA_seq_to_examine_transcriptional_variation_in_the_malaria_parasite_ookinete_stage
single-cell RNA-seq data from Plasmodium berghei ookinetes was collected using a modified smart-seq2 approach from individual Anopheles stephensi midguts 24 hours after an infectious blood meal.  This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/
The crossing of the mosquito midgut epithelium by the malaria parasite motile ookinete form represents the most extreme population bottleneck in the parasite life cycle and is a prime target for transmission blocking strategies. However, we have little understanding of the clonal variation that exists in a population of ookinetes in the vector, partially because the parasites are difficult to access and are found in low numbers. Within a vector, variation may result as a response to specific environmental cues or may exist independent of those cues as a potential bet-hedging strategy. Here we use single-cell RNAseq to profile transcriptionally variation in ookinetes across different vector species, and between and within individual midguts in Plasmodium berghei. We then compare our results to low-input transcriptomes from individual Anopheles coluzzii midguts infected with the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Although the vast majority of transcriptional changes in Plasmodium are driven by development, we have identified candidate genes that may be responding to environmental cues or are clonally variant within a population. Our results illustrate the value of single-cell and low-input technologies in understanding clonal variation of parasite populations.