Modification of <i>var</i> transcription by mosquito transmission.

Abstract

<p>(A) The rate difference of the median expression for each individual <i>var</i> variant and the housekeeping controls shows the overexpression of the entire <i>var</i> gene family <i>in vivo</i> with exception of the <i>var2csa</i> gene PFL0030c in comparison to the parental Master Cell Bank (MCB) parasite line. Each point reflects the median for the volunteer samples at the day of patent infection (n = 18) divided by the median observed for the parasite generations 6, 8 and 21 from two vials of the MCB cell line (n = 6). Housekeeping genes used as controls, <i>var</i> gene names and groups are indicated. (B) Differences in gene expression on group level between the pre-mosquito MCB parasite lines and parasites recovered from the infected volunteers (VOL) at the day of patent infection determined by thick blood smear are displayed as group median with interquartile range (IQR). Significant differences in distributions between MCB and VOL series were tested via a Wilcoxon rank-sum test using a Bonferroni corrected significance level. The graph contains a scale brake at the y-axis to account for the huge variability in the gene expressions. Group affiliations are indicated above the graph. Red (A), orange (A, subfamily <i>var3</i>), dark red (A, subfamily <i>var1</i>), purple (B/A), blue (B), turquoise (B/C), green (C) and yellow (E).</p