Oxidative Stress Genes in Plasmodium falciparum as Indicated by Temporal Gene Expression

Entry of Plasmodium falciparum into human red blood cells is a stressful event for both the host and the parasite. Conversion of hemoglobin into usable food by P. falciparum is accompanied by the production of chemically reactive and toxic molecules called oxidants. Examination of the temporal sequence of gene expression during the intraerythrocytic development cycle (IDC) [4] can help elucidate how Plasmodium responds to these selfgenerated harmful chemicals while proceeding through its normal developmental program. Our study has three parts: identification of temporally-defined sets of co-regulated oxidative stress response genes in this parasite; comparison of the temporal patterns of the oxidative stress response to that of co-regulated gene sets involved in other processes; and identification of putative transcription factor binding sites by finding DNA motifs unique to the upstream regions of co-regulated oxidative stress response genes.