Plasmodium sexual differentiation: how to make a female.
Mol Microbiol
; 112(6): 1627-1631, 2019 12.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31271672
ABSTRACT
Sexual development is integral to the transmission of Plasmodium parasites between vertebrates and mosquitos. Recent years have seen great advances in understanding the gene expression that underlies commitment of asexual parasites to differentiate into sexual gametocyte stages, then how they mature and form gametes once inside a mosquito. Less well understood is how parasites differentially control development to become males or females. Plasmodium parasites are haploid at the time of sexual differentiation, but a clonal haploid line can produce both male and female gametocytes, so they presumably lack the sex-determining alleles present in some other eukaryotes. Though the molecular switch to initiate male or female development remains hidden, recent studies reveal regulatory proteins needed for the sex-specific maturation of male and female gametocytes. Yuda and collaborators report the characterization of a transcription factor necessary for female gametocyte maturation. With renewed attention on malaria elimination, sex has been an increasing focus because transmission-blocking strategies are likely to be an important component of elimination efforts.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Plasmodium
/
Diferenciação Sexual
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Mol Microbiol
Assunto da revista:
BIOLOGIA MOLECULAR
/
MICROBIOLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
2019
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Austrália
País de publicação:
ENGLAND
/
ESCOCIA
/
GB
/
GREAT BRITAIN
/
INGLATERRA
/
REINO UNIDO
/
SCOTLAND
/
UK
/
UNITED KINGDOM