Knockdown of the Plasmodium falciparum SURFIN4.1 antigen leads to an increase of its cognate transcript

Autor(es)

Macedo-Silva, Tatiane ; Duque Araujo, Rosana Beatriz ; Meissner, Kamila Anna ; Fotoran, Wesley Luzetti ; Medeiros, Marcia Melo ; de Azevedo, Mauro Ferreira ; Wunderlich, Gerhard

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: PLoS One; v. 12, n. 8 AUG 11 2017.
• Citações Web of Science: 0

Resumo

The genome of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum contains the surf gene family which encodes large transmembrane proteins of unknown function. While some surf alleles appear to be expressed in sexual stages, others occur in asexual blood stage forms and may be associated to virulence-associated processes and undergo transcriptional switching. We accessed the transcription of surf genes along multiple invasions by real time PCR. Based on the observation of persistent expression of gene surf4.1, we created a parasite line which expresses a conditionally destabilized SURFIN4.1 protein. Upon destabilization of the protein, no interference of parasite growth or morphological changes were detected. However, we observed a strong increase in the transcript quantities of surf4.1 and sometimes of other surf genes in knocked-down parasites. While this effect was reversible when SURFIN4.1 was stabilized again after a few days of destabilization, longer destabilization periods resulted in a transcriptional switch away from surf4.1. When we tested if a longer transcript half-life was responsible for increased transcript detection in SURFIN4.1 knocked-down parasites, no alteration was found compared to control parasite lines. This suggests a specific feedback of the expressed SURFIN protein to its transcript pointing to a novel type of regulation, inedited in Plasmodium. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 15/17174-7 - Avaliação de fatores que influem na expressão de famílias multigênicas var, rif e surf de P. falciparum, o parasita da malária humana
• Beneficiário: Gerhard Wunderlich
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular
• Processo FAPESP: 12/23306-5 - Estudos sobre o mecanismo da transcrição e do switching de genes de virulência em Plasmodium
• Beneficiário: Gerhard Wunderlich
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular
• Processo FAPESP: 09/51026-4 - Identificacao de proteinas de p. falciparum diferencialmente reconhecidas por soros de individuos "protegidos" (assintomaticos) e "suscetiveis" (sintomaticos)
• Beneficiário: Mauro Ferreira de Azevedo
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 13/12439-7 - Estudo do modo de transcrição e expressão de genes surf de Plasmodium falciparum
• Beneficiário: Tatiane Macedo Silva
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Mestrado
• Processo FAPESP: 15/19316-3 - Mecanismos de egresso em P. falciparum: identificação de novos alvos terapêuticos
• Beneficiário: Mauro Ferreira de Azevedo
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Jovens Pesquisadores