A comparative transcriptomic analysis of replicating and dormant liver stages of the relapsing malaria parasite Plasmodium Cynomolgi

We report a comparative transcriptomic dataset of replicating liver schizonts and dormant hypnozoites of the relapsing parasitePlasmodium cynomolgi. Hypnozoites express only 34% ofPlasmodium physiological pathways, while 91% are expressed in replicating schizonts. Few known malaria drug targets are expressed in quiescent parasites, but pathways involved in microbial dormancy, maintenance of genome integrity and ATP homeostasis were robustly expressed. Several transcripts encoding heavy metal transporters were expressed in hypnozoites and the copper chelator neocuproine was cidal to all liver stage parasites. This transcriptomic dataset is a valuable resource for the discovery of vaccines and effective treatments to combat vivax malaria.
Source: eLife - Category: Biomedical Science Tags: Microbiology and Infectious Disease Source Type: research