Probing Plasmodium falciparum sexual commitment at the single-cell level

Wellcome Open Research

article

Nicolas M.B. Brancucci¹  Mariana De Niz¹  Timothy J. Straub²  Deepali Ravel²  Lauriane Sollelis¹  Bruce W. Birren³  Till S. Voss⁴  Daniel E. Neafsey²  Matthias Marti¹ 

[1] Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow;Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health;The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard;Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute;University of Basel

关键词: Plasmodium falciparum;    single cell;    RNAseq;    phenotyping;    malaria;    transmission;    sexual differentiation;   

DOI  :  10.12688/wellcomeopenres.14645.4

学科分类：内科医学

来源: Wellcome

【 摘 要 】

Background: Malaria parasites go through major transitions during their complex life cycle, yet the underlying differentiation pathways remain obscure. Here we apply single cell transcriptomics to unravel the program inducing sexual differentiation inPlasmodium falciparum. Parasites have to make this essential life-cycle decision in preparation for human-to-mosquito transmission.Methods: By combining transcriptional profiling with quantitative imaging and genetics, we defined a transcriptional signature in sexually committed cells.Results: We found this transcriptional signature to be distinct from general changes in parasite metabolism that can be observed in response to commitment-inducing conditions.Conclusions: This proof-of-concept study provides a template to capture transcriptional diversity in parasite populations containing complex mixtures of different life-cycle stages and developmental programs, with important implications for our understanding of parasite biology and the ongoing malaria elimination campaign.

【 授权许可】

CC BY