Regulators of male and female sexual development are critical for the transmission of a malaria parasite.
Loading...
Embargo End Date
ICR Authors
Authors
Russell, AJC
Sanderson, T
Bushell, E
Talman, AM
Anar, B
Girling, G
Hunziker, M
Kent, RS
Martin, JS
Metcalf, T
Montandon, R
Pandey, V
Pardo, M
Roberts, AB
Sayers, C
Schwach, F
Choudhary, JS
Rayner, JC
Voet, T
Modrzynska, KK
Waters, AP
Lawniczak, MKN
Billker, O
Sanderson, T
Bushell, E
Talman, AM
Anar, B
Girling, G
Hunziker, M
Kent, RS
Martin, JS
Metcalf, T
Montandon, R
Pandey, V
Pardo, M
Roberts, AB
Sayers, C
Schwach, F
Choudhary, JS
Rayner, JC
Voet, T
Modrzynska, KK
Waters, AP
Lawniczak, MKN
Billker, O
Document Type
Journal Article
Date
2023-02-08
Date Accepted
2022-12-12
Abstract
Malaria transmission to mosquitoes requires a developmental switch in asexually dividing blood-stage parasites to sexual reproduction. In Plasmodium berghei, the transcription factor AP2-G is required and sufficient for this switch, but how a particular sex is determined in a haploid parasite remains unknown. Using a global screen of barcoded mutants, we here identify genes essential for the formation of either male or female sexual forms and validate their importance for transmission. High-resolution single-cell transcriptomics of ten mutant parasites portrays the developmental bifurcation and reveals a regulatory cascade of putative gene functions in the determination and subsequent differentiation of each sex. A male-determining gene with a LOTUS/OST-HTH domain as well as the protein interactors of a female-determining zinc-finger protein indicate that germ-granule-like ribonucleoprotein complexes complement transcriptional processes in the regulation of both male and female development of a malaria parasite.
Citation
Cell Host and Microbe, 2023, 31 (2), pp. 305 - +
Source Title
Cell Host and Microbe
Publisher
CELL PRESS
ISSN
1931-3128
eISSN
1934-6069
1934-6069
1934-6069
Collections
Research Team
Functional Proteomics