Abstract
BackgroundBoth host and pathogen factors contribute to disease outcome in Plasmodium falciparum infection. The feasibility of studying the P. falciparum in vivo transcriptome to understand parasite transcriptional response while it resides in the human host is presented.MethodsA custom made oligonucleotide array with probes based on the P. falciparum 3D7 laboratory strain chromosome 2 sequence was used to detect in vivo P. falciparum transcripts. This study analyzed transcripts from total RNA derived from small blood samples of P. falciparum infected patients and compared the in vivo expression profile to the in vitro cultivated 3D7 strain transcriptome.ResultsThe data demonstrated that in vivo transcription can be studied from a small blood sample, despite the abundance of human RNA. The in vivo transcriptome is similar to the 3D7 ring stage transcriptome, but there are significant differences in genes encoding a sexual stage antigen and surface proteins.ConclusionsWhole genome transcription analysis of P. falciparum can be carried out successfully and further studies in selected patient cohorts may provide insight into parasite in vivo biology and defense against host immunity.
Highlights
Both host and pathogen factors contribute to disease outcome in Plasmodium falciparum infection
This data show that several genes are differentially expressed in vivo, indicating differences between the transcriptional program of 3D7 laboratory strain parasites growing in culture and naturally occurring infections in the human host
Samples were thawed in a room temperature bath one month later and isolation of RNA was completed per Molecular Research Centers protocol
Summary
Both host and pathogen factors contribute to disease outcome in Plasmodium falciparum infection. The feasibility of studying the P. falciparum in vivo transcriptome to understand parasite transcriptional response while it resides in the human host is presented. Characterization of the in vivo biology of this pathogen, through adaptation of a whole genome approach, would provide insight into the host-parasite relationship, parasite virulence factors and inform new strategies for intervention. Small amounts of parasite RNA, isolated from a few milliliters of a blood sample are found to be sufficient for whole genome transcriptional analysis. This data show that several genes are differentially expressed in vivo, indicating differences between the transcriptional program of 3D7 laboratory strain parasites growing in culture and naturally occurring infections in the human host
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