Comprehensive Survey of the Plasmodium Life Cycle by Genomic, Transcriptomic, and Proteomic Analyses

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2005-01, Vol.307 (5706), p.82-86
• Main Authors: Hall, Neil, Karras, Marianna, Raine, J. Dale, Carlton, Jane M, Kooij, Taco W. A, Berriman, Matthew, Florens, Laurence, Janssen, Christoph S, Pain, Arnab, Christophides, Georges K, James, Keith, Rutherford, Kim, Harris, Barbara, Harris, David, Churcher, Carol, Quail, Michael A, Ormond, Doug, Doggett, Jon, Trueman, Holly E, Mendoza, Jacqui, Bidwell, Shelby L, Rajandream, Marie-Adele, Carucci, Daniel J, Yates, John R, Kafatos, Fotis C, Janse, Chris J, Barrell, Bart, Turner, C. Michael R, Waters, Andrew P, Sinden, Robert E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3' Untranslated Regions; Animals; Anopheles - parasitology; Biological and medical sciences; Comparative analysis; Computational Biology; Evolution, Molecular; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gametocytes; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Silencing; Genes; Genes, Protozoan; Genetic aspects; Genome, Protozoan; Genomes; Genomics; Life Cycle Stages; Malaria; Malaria - parasitology; Molecular and cellular biology; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Ookinetes; Parasites; Parasitic protozoa; Plasmodium; Plasmodium (Protozoa); Plasmodium - genetics; Plasmodium - growth & development; Plasmodium - metabolism; Plasmodium berghei; Plasmodium berghei - genetics; Plasmodium berghei - growth & development; Plasmodium berghei - metabolism; Plasmodium chabaudi; Plasmodium chabaudi - genetics; Plasmodium chabaudi - growth & development; Plasmodium chabaudi - metabolism; Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium falciparum - genetics; Plasmodium falciparum - growth & development; Plasmodium falciparum - metabolism; Plasmodium yoelii; Plasmodium yoelii - genetics; Plasmodium yoelii - growth & development; Plasmodium yoelii - metabolism; Proteome - analysis; Proteomes; Proteomics; Protozoan Proteins - analysis; Research Article; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; RNA, Protozoan - genetics; RNA, Protozoan - metabolism; Rodents; Selection, Genetic; Sex Education; Sexuality; Sporozoites; Transcription, Genetic; Transcriptomes
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1103717

Plasmodium berghei and Plasmodium chabaudi are widely used model malaria species. Comparison of their genomes, integrated with proteomic and microarray data, with the genomes of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium yoelii revealed a conserved core of 4500 Plasmodium genes in the central regions of the 14 chromosomes and highlighted genes evolving rapidly because of stage-specific selective pressures. Four strategies for gene expression are apparent during the parasites' life cycle: (i) housekeeping; (ii) host-related; (iii) strategy-specific related to invasion, asexual replication, and sexual development; and (iv) stage-specific. We observed posttranscriptional gene silencing through translational repression of messenger RNA during sexual development, and a 47-base 3' untranslated region motif is implicated in this process.