A5017226115- Malaria Research and Control
- Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- HIV Research and Treatment
- Complement system in diseases
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Aquaculture disease management and microbiota
- vaccines and immunoinformatics approaches
- Trypanosoma species research and implications
- HIV/AIDS drug development and treatment
- Vector-borne infectious diseases
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
- Research on Leishmaniasis Studies
- Parasites and Host Interactions
- Insect Resistance and Genetics
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Toxoplasma gondii Research Studies
- Drug Transport and Resistance Mechanisms
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
- Immune Cell Function and Interaction
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Brucella: diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment
- Parasitic Infections and Diagnostics
Cornell University
2016-2025
Weill Cornell Medicine
2022-2023
University of Copenhagen
2013
Rigshospitalet
2013
Copenhagen University Hospital
2013
In-Q-Tel
2009
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
1996-2001
National Institutes of Health
1996-2001
National Center for Biotechnology Information
2001
Michigan State University
1991-1998
The uptake and expression of extracellular DNA has been established as a mechanism for horizontal transfer genes between bacterial species. Such can support acquisition advantageous elements, including determinants that affect the interactions infectious organisms their hosts. Here we show erythrocyte-stage Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites spontaneously take up from host cell cytoplasm into nuclei. We have exploited this finding to produce levels reporter in P.falciparum are...
During its red blood cell stage, the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum can switch variant surface proteins (P. erythrocyte membrane protein 1) to evade host immune response. The var gene family encodes P. 1, different versions of which have unique binding specificities various human endothelial molecules. Individual parasites each contain approximately 60 genes at locations within their chromosomes; however, isolates complements genes, thus, is enormous with a virtually unlimited number...
The primary virulence determinant of Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasite-infected cells is a family heterogeneous surface receptors collectively referred to as PfEMP1. These proteins are encoded by large, polymorphic gene called var. contains approximately 60 individual genes, which subject strict, mutually exclusive expression, with the single expressed var determining antigenic, cytoadherent, and phenotype infected cell. expression pattern genes imperative for parasite's ability evade...
Malaria parasites replicate asexually within their mammalian hosts as haploid cells and are subject to DNA damage from the immune response chemotherapeutic agents that can significantly disrupt genomic integrity. Examination of annotated genome parasite Plasmodium falciparum identified genes encoding core proteins required for homologous recombination (HR) pathway repairing double-strand breaks (DSBs), but surprisingly none components canonical non-homologous end joining (C-NHEJ) were...
The primary antigenic and virulence determinant of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is a variant surface protein called PfEMP1. Different forms PfEMP1 are encoded by multicopy gene family var , switching between active genes enables parasites to evade antibody response their hosts. key for maintenance chronic infections; however, what controls unknown, although it has been suggested occur at constant frequency with little or no environmental influence. transcription...
Antigenic variation by the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum results from switches in expression between members of multicopy var gene family. These genes encode variant surface protein PfEMP-1, primary determinant antigenic and cytoadherent properties infected erythrocytes. Only a single is expressed at time while remaining family remain transcriptionally silent. How mutually exclusive regulated poorly understood; however, it generally thought to involve alterations chromatin assembly...
Summary Antigenic variation in Plasmodium falciparum malaria is mediated by transcriptional switches between different members of the multicopy var gene family. Each encodes a member group heterogeneous surface proteins collectively referred to as PfEMP1. Mutually exclusive expression ensures that an individual parasite only transcribes single at time. In this work we studied switching determine if favour particular subgroups genes and activation within clonal population parasites follows...
We report a phenomenon previously unknown for oviparous animals; in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes serine carboxypeptidase is synthesized extraovarially and then internalized by oocytes. The cDNA encoding mosquito vitellogenic (VCP) was cloned sequenced. VCP hybridizes to 1.5-kilobase mRNA present only the fat body of females. deduced amino acid sequence shares significant homology with members family. Binding assays using protease inhibitor, [3H]diisopropyl fluorophosphate, showed that activated...
Endemic Burkitt's lymphoma (eBL) arises from the germinal center (GC). It is a common tumor of young children in tropical Africa and its occurrence closely linked geographically with incidence P. falciparum malaria. This association was noted more than 50 years ago. Since then we have learned that eBL contains oncogenic herpes virus Epstein-Barr (EBV) defining translocation activates c-myc oncogene. However link to malaria has never been explained. Here provide evidence for mechanism arising...
Histone modifications are important regulators of gene expression in all eukaryotes. In Plasmodium falciparum, these epigenetic marks regulate genes involved several aspects host-parasite interactions, including antigenic variation. While the identities and genomic positions many histone have now been cataloged, how they targeted to defined regions remains poorly understood. For example, variant antigen encoding loci (var) for deposition unique is a mystery that continues perplex field. Here...
Malaria parasites possess the remarkable ability to maintain chronic infections that fail elicit a protective immune response, characteristics have stymied vaccine development and cause people living in endemic regions remain at risk of malaria despite previous exposure disease. These traits stem from tremendous antigenic diversity displayed by circulating field. For Plasmodium falciparum, most virulent human parasites, this is exemplified variant gene family called var, which encodes major...