A var gene promoter controls allelic exclusion of virulence genes in Plasmodium falciparum malaria

Till S. Voss, Julie Healer, Allison J. Marty, Michael F. Duffy, Jennifer K. Thompson, James G. Beeson, John C. Reeder, Brendan S. Crabb and Alan F. Cowman ()
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Till S. Voss: The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
Julie Healer: The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
Allison J. Marty: The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
Michael F. Duffy: The University of Melbourne, The Royal Melbourne Hospital
Jennifer K. Thompson: The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
James G. Beeson: The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
John C. Reeder: Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research
Brendan S. Crabb: The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
Alan F. Cowman: The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research

Nature, 2006, vol. 439, issue 7079, 1004-1008

Abstract: Variations on a theme The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum invades red blood cells and deposits the virulence factor PfEMP1 on their cell surface. This is the key to the parasite's ability to evade the immune system, since PfEMP1 is encoded by a family of 60 var genes, only one of which is transcribed at any one time. How Plasmodium brings about this antigenic variation is not clear. Voss et al. show that one active var promoter is sufficient to initiate the transcription of one gene while shutting off the others. This is explained by the existence of a unique, peri-nuclear compartment that aids in the transcription of a single var gene; switching var transcription, and thus changing PfEMP1 identity, would occur by competition of a silenced var promoter for occupancy of this space.

Date: 2006
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DOI: 10.1038/nature04407

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