Gigliola Zanghì

Abstract Plasmodium vivax (Pv) forms non-replicating liver stages called hypnozoites, which activate after primary infection, and cause relapses of symptomatic blood-stage malaria. We hypothesize that hypnozoites must actively suppress schizogony to maintain a quiescent state. Differential transcriptome prospecting identifies two hypnozoite-expressed transcripts encoding putative RNA-binding proteins.

1The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK 2The University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK 3Laboratory of Pathogens and Host Immunity, UMR5294, UA15, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France 4Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay 5UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, USA 6The University of York, York, UK 7Cirad, UMR INTERTRYP, F-34398, Montpellier, France 8INTERTRYP, Univ Montpellier, Cirad, IRD, Montpellier, France 9Deakin University, Geelong, Australia 10The University of...

Abstract Gene expression of Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) liver-stage (LS) parasites has remained poorly characterized, although they are major vaccine and drug targets. Using a human liver-chimaeric mouse model and a fluorescent parasite line (PfNF54CSPGFP), we isolated PfLS and performed transcriptomics on key LS developmental phases. We linked clustered gene expression to ApiAP2, a major family of transcription factors that regulate the parasite life cycle.