Alterations in local chromatin environment are involved in silencing and activation of subtelomeric var genes in Plasmodium falciparum

摘要: Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1), encoded by the var gene family, undergoes antigenic variation and plays an important role in chronic infection severe malaria. Only a single is transcribed per parasite, epigenetic control mechanisms are fundamental this strategy of mutually exclusive transcription. We show that subtelomeric upsB promoters carried on episomes silenced default, promoter activation sufficient to silence all other family members. However, they active default when placed downstream second promoter, underscoring significance local chromatin environment nuclear compartmentalization regulation. Native covering SPE2-repeat array resistant nuclease digestion, insertion these regulatory elements into heterologous causes alterations nucleosomal organization repression. Our findings suggest common logic underlying transcriptional genes, have implications for our understanding processes involved regulation major virulence family.