Transition of Plasmodium sporozoites into liver stage-like forms is regulated by the RNA binding protein Pumilio
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ArticleAuthors
Gomes-Santos, Carina S. S.Braks, Joanna
Prudêncio, Miguel
Carret, Céline
Gomes, Ana Rita
Pain, Arnab
Feltwell, Theresa
Khan, Shahid
Waters, Andrew
Janse, Chris
Mair, Gunnar R.
Mota, Maria M.
KAUST Department
Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) DivisionComputational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC)
Date
2011-05-19Permanent link to this record
http://hdl.handle.net/10754/325343Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Many eukaryotic developmental and cell fate decisions that are effected post-transcriptionally involve RNA binding proteins as regulators of translation of key mRNAs. In malaria parasites (Plasmodium spp.), the development of round, non-motile and replicating exo-erythrocytic liver stage forms from slender, motile and cell-cycle arrested sporozoites is believed to depend on environmental changes experienced during the transmission of the parasite from the mosquito vector to the vertebrate host. Here we identify a Plasmodium member of the RNA binding protein family PUF as a key regulator of this transformation. In the absence of Pumilio-2 (Puf2) sporozoites initiate EEF development inside mosquito salivary glands independently of the normal transmission-associated environmental cues. Puf2- sporozoites exhibit genome-wide transcriptional changes that result in loss of gliding motility, cell traversal ability and reduction in infectivity, and, moreover, trigger metamorphosis typical of early Plasmodium intra-hepatic development. These data demonstrate that Puf2 is a key player in regulating sporozoite developmental control, and imply that transformation of salivary gland-resident sporozoites into liver stage-like parasites is regulated by a post-transcriptional mechanism. 2011 Gomes-Santos et al.Citation
Gomes-Santos CSS, Braks J, Prudêncio M, Carret C, Gomes AR, et al. (2011) Transition of Plasmodium Sporozoites into Liver Stage-Like Forms Is Regulated by the RNA Binding Protein Pumilio. PLoS Pathog 7: e1002046. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1002046.Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)Journal
PLoS PathogensISSN
15537366PubMed ID
21625527PubMed Central ID
PMC3098293Scopus Count
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