Non-Potluck: The Plasmodium falciparum transcriptome in severe malaria reveals altered expression of genes involved in important processes including surface antigen–encoding var genes

In this study scientists examined the alterations that the parasite Plasmodium falciparum undergoes when the human host drastically changes its environment. The researchers RNA sequencing to analyse gene expression in 44 parasite isolates known to have caused severe malaria in Papuan patiens. From this the researchers observed that in the transcriptomes of 19 parasite isolates associated with severe cases of maleria, the parasites exhibited decreased glycolysis without activation of compensatory pathways. Further they found that these transcriptomes altered chromatin structure and likely also altered transcriptional regulation through dicreased histone methylation. Essentially they discovered that severe malaria that causes a huge change to the host environment facilitates malaria to alter gene expression to survive in a more hostile environment. The findings determine that the PfEMP1 sequence that is associated with malarial life functions were associated with different expression based on the host severity. The study represents an interesting look at how parasites adapt or are selected for based on the host environment.

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