Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

The Plasmodium falciparum R29 clone preferentially transcribes the R29var gene variant on rosette selection, unlike other isogenic clones from the same parasite lineage. Characterisation of the R29var gene locus revealed that this gene lies internal to, and is in a tail-to-tail orientation with, a second var gene variant (A4var) at one end of chromosome 13. In the R29 clone, a spontaneous deletion event between these two var variants deletes all of the A4var gene and the subtelomeric repetitive sequence arrays. We have previously shown that a simple disruption of the A4var gene is not sufficient to preferentially activate the R29var gene in rosette-selected parasites. We therefore hypothesised that the truncation of the chromosome end may be a key factor in predisposing the R29var variant to transcription under rosette selection conditions. Here, we have generated a panel of isogenic parasite clones with both intact and truncated A4var-R29var loci, and show that R29var transcription is only detected in rosette-selected clones with a truncated locus. Furthermore, we present provisional data describing the relative frequency with which this spontaneous deletion event occurs. These data have implications in our understanding of how spontaneous deletion events within subtelomeric var loci may affect transcription of these var gene variants.

Original publication

DOI

10.1016/j.molbiopara.2003.11.016

Type

Journal article

Journal

Mol Biochem Parasitol

Publication Date

04/2004

Volume

134

Pages

193 - 199

Keywords

Animals, Antigenic Variation, Antigens, Protozoan, Blotting, Northern, DNA, Protozoan, Gene Expression Regulation, Gene Order, Genes, Protozoan, Plasmodium falciparum, Protozoan Proteins, RNA, Protozoan, Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid, Restriction Mapping, Sequence Deletion, Telomere, Transcription, Genetic