Hui Min, Xiaoying Liang, Chengqi Wang, Junling Qin, Rachasak Boonhok, Azhar Muneer, Awtum M Brashear, Xiaolian Li, Allen M Minns, Swamy Rakesh Adapa, Rays H Y Jiang, Gang Ning, Yaming Cao, Scott E Lindner, Jun Miao, Liwang Cui
In malaria parasites, the regulation of mRNA translation, storage and degradation during development and life-stage transitions remains largely unknown. Here, we functionally characterized the DEAD-box RNA helicase PfDOZI in P. falciparum. Disruption of pfdozi enhanced asexual proliferation but reduced sexual commitment and impaired gametocyte development. By quantitative transcriptomics, we show that PfDOZI is involved in the regulation of invasion-related genes and sexual stage-specific genes during different developmental stages...
May 3, 2024: Nature Communications