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Identifying novel cell cycle proteins in Apicomplexa parasites through co-expression decision analysis
Carrie L Butler1, Olivier Lucas1, Stefan Wuchty2
1Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America.
Plos One
|May 21, 2014
Summary
Researchers identified essential cell division genes in parasites like Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium falciparum by analyzing gene expression timing. This approach uncovered over 100 new, uncharacterized proteins crucial for parasite replication and function.
Area of Science:
- Parasitology
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Hypothetical proteins constitute a significant portion of the gene content in Apicomplexa parasites.
- Understanding the function of these uncharacterized proteins is crucial for parasite biology and control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify core cell division cycling genes in Apicomplexa, including uncharacterized proteins.
- To leverage gene expression timing to uncover functional relationships and identify novel parasite proteins.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of mRNA profiles during synchronous replication in *Toxoplasma gondii* and *Plasmodium falciparum*.
- Identification and sorting of dual cell cycle regulated orthologs based on conservation.
- Epitope tagging of selected unknown cyclical genes in *T. gondii*.
Main Results:
- Over 100 ortholog gene pairs with unknown function showed conserved mRNA abundance and cyclical expression patterns.
- These uncharacterized proteins displayed conserved structural domain organization.
- Functional characterization revealed new components of the inner membrane complex, mitotic structures, and invasion organelles.
Conclusions:
- Gene expression timing is a powerful strategy for identifying functionally important proteins in Apicomplexa.
- This study discovered novel proteins involved in parasite cell division and essential cellular processes.
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