# Exploring regulation of gene expression in malaria parasites

> **NIH NIH R21** · IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $191,250

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Malaria is a global health problem. The disease is caused by parasites from the genus Plasmodium and is
endemic to more than 90 countries. In 2016, 216 million infections and 445,000 deaths were estimated. The
parasite is transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes during a blood meal. The infectious parasite stage
injected by the mosquito is the complex developmental result of parasites taken up approximately three weeks
earlier by the same mosquito. Antimalarial drugs efficiently eliminate parasite forms that cause the disease.
Gametocytes, the parasite stage taken up by the mosquito, on the other hand, are cleared inefficiently, remain
infectious and perpetuate malaria transmission. Intervention strategies that target and block the transmission of
gametocytes is part of the malaria elimination strategy, but it is in need of a better understanding of the
molecular mechanisms that allow and maximize parasite survival in the mosquito following transmission. Here
we will elucidate an essential gene expression strategy employed by the parasite to ensure rapid adaptation
and infection of the mosquito vector by the newly formed ookinete. The female gametocyte supplies the
developing ookinete with hundreds of messenger RNA templates for rapid protein translation. Using the rodent
malaria model Plasmodium berghei we will establish the developmental proteome of ookinete formation
providing proteomic snapshots and identifying when such mRNAs are translated; secondly we will define the
specific roles of specific RNA binding proteins in the translational control process; and establish new RNA
methodologies that will allow the accurate study of mRNA-specific complexes. The overall aim is to understand
the underlying molecular mechanisms that define the ordered and timely protein translation needed for
ookinete formation. Our work will provide a comprehensive view of translational control during malaria parasite
transmission to the mosquito. The methodological innovations of this project will funnel into research on the
human-infectious parasite form and the study of related apicomplexan parasites. The findings of this research
will spur the development of new intervention strategies that target this key mechanism for parasite infectivity.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9932882
- **Project number:** 5R21AI139579-02
- **Recipient organization:** IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Josh Ryan Beck
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $191,250
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-05-22 → 2023-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9932882

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9932882, Exploring regulation of gene expression in malaria parasites (5R21AI139579-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-11 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9932882. Licensed CC0.

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