Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 4, 2025

Author Spotlight: Identifying Compensatory Pathways in Malaria Parasites Containing Hypomorphic Allele of Essential Protein Kinases
Published on: November 22, 2024
Hungry for control: metabolite signaling to chromatin in Plasmodium falciparum
Ruth Lappalainen1, Manish Kumar1, Manoj T Duraisingh1
1Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston 02115, USA.
Abstract:
The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum undergoes a complex life cycle in two hosts, mammalian and mosquito, where it is constantly subjected to environmental changes in nutrients. Epigenetic mechanisms govern transcriptional switches and are essential for parasite persistence and proliferation. Parasites infecting red blood cells are auxotrophic for several nutrients, and mounting evidence suggests that various metabolites act as direct substrates for epigenetic modifications, with their abundance directly relating to changes in parasite gene expression. Here, we review the latest understanding of metabolic changes that alter the histone code resulting in changes to transcriptional programmes in malaria parasites.
Related Concept Videos
Chromatin Modification in iPS Cells
Compact chromatin makes reprogramming difficult. Enzymes, such as histone demethylases and acetyltransferases, are often added during reprogramming to loosen the chromatin, making the DNA more accessible to transcription factors. Molecules that inhibit histone...
Symbiosis
Calmodulin-dependent Signaling
The Ca2+-CaM complex does not have enzymatic activity by itself. Instead, the complex binds downstream target proteins, including membrane proteins or enzymes,...
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway
Amplifying Signals via Enzymatic Cascade
Cell Signaling in Plants

