期刊名称：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN：0027-8424
电子版ISSN：1091-6490
出版年度：2009
卷号：106
期号：24
页码：9655-9660
DOI：10.1073/pnas.0902515106
语种：English
出版社：The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要：Epigenome profiling has led to the paradigm that promoters of active genes are decorated with H3K4me3 and H3K9ac marks. To explore the epigenome of Plasmodium falciparum asexual stages, we performed MS analysis of histone modifications and found a general preponderance of H3/H4 acetylation and H3K4me3. ChIP-on-chip profiling of H3, H3K4me3, H3K9me3, and H3K9ac from asynchronous parasites revealed an extensively euchromatic epigenome with heterochromatin restricted to variant surface antigen gene families (VSA) and a number of genes hitherto unlinked to VSA. Remarkably, the vast majority of the genome shows an unexpected pattern of enrichment of H3K4me3 and H3K9ac. Analysis of synchronized parasites revealed significant developmental stage specificity of the epigenome. In rings, H3K4me3 and H3K9ac are homogenous across the genes marking active and inactive genes equally, whereas in schizonts, they are enriched at the 5' end of active genes. This study reveals an unforeseen and unique plasticity in the use of the epigenetic marks and implies the presence of distinct epigenetic pathways in gene silencing/activation throughout the erythrocytic cycle.
