Parasites & Vectors最新文献

{"title":"Scent detection dogs detect a species of hard tick, Dermacentor albipictus, with comparable accuracy and efficiency to traditional tick drag surveys.","authors":"Troy Koser, Aimee Hurt, Laura Thompson, Alyson Courtemanch, Benjamin Wise, Paul Cross","doi":"10.1186/s13071-024-06519-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-024-06519-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Accurate surveillance data are critical for addressing tick and tick-borne pathogen risk to human and animal health. Current surveillance methods for detecting invading or expanding tick species are limited in their ability to scale efficiently to state or national levels. In this study we explored the potential use of scent detection dogs to assist field surveys for a hard tick species: Dermacentor albipictus.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used a series of indoor and in situ training simulations to teach scent detection dogs to recognize D. albipictus scent, distinguish tick scent from associated vegetation, and develop a cautious search pattern. After training, we deployed both a scent detection dog survey team and a human-only survey team on transect and surveillance plot surveys then compared the detection rates and efficiency of both methods.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Scent detection dogs required more time and money to train on field surveys but were comparable to traditional tick drags when accounting for cost per unit area surveyed. There was a lack of agreement on positive (ticks present) versus negative (ticks not present) sites between the two methods, implying that neither method is particularly reliable at detecting D. albipictus.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Estimating detection bias and false negative rates for tick surveillance methods such as tick drags will be important for accurately evaluating tick-borne disease risk across space and into the future. We found scent detection dogs to be a reasonable alternative sampling approach to consider when ticks are at low abundance or patchily distributed such as during tick range expansion or novel invasions. Scent detection dogs may also be useful for sampling for ticks in areas or along surfaces that are difficult to sample with the traditional tick drag technique like at ports of entry or livestock competitions.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"126"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143772915","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy of a novel chewable tablet (Credelio Quattro™) containing lotilaner, moxidectin, praziquantel, and pyrantel for the treatment and control of hookworm infections in dogs.","authors":"Samuel Charles, Katrin Deuster, Xinshuo Wang, Scott Wiseman, Craig R Reinemeyer, Luther van der Mescht, Abdelmoneim Mansour, Imad Bouzaidi Cheikhi, Lisa Young","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06757-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06757-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Hookworms, specifically Ancylostoma caninum and Uncinaria stenocephala, have a clinical impact on the health of dogs, with A. caninum posing a zoonotic risk worldwide. The studies presented here were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of a novel, oral chewable tablet (Credelio Quattro) containing lotilaner, moxidectin, praziquantel, and pyrantel (as pamoate salt) against fourth-stage larvae (L₄), immature adult, and adult A. caninum, as well as adult U. stenocephala, infections in dogs.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Nine negatively controlled, masked, randomized laboratory studies evaluated the efficacy and non-interference of the drugs against various stages of A. caninum and U. stenocephala. In addition to one pilot study conducted against L₄ A. caninum and one study that assessed efficacy in dogs with naturally acquired U. stenocephala, two experimental studies were conducted against each of the target hookworm species and stages. A total of 16-31 dogs comprised each study. With the exception of the study in dogs with naturally acquired U. stenocephala, dogs were experimentally infected with the target parasite and dosed on Day 0 or 4 with placebo tablets, Credelio Quattro tablets (or components of Credelio Quattro formulation for the pilot study), or individual actives, moxidectin or pyrantel, in the specific studies designed to assess interference. Efficacy was evaluated by comparing the number of worms recovered at necropsy 5-10 days post-treatment between the treated and control groups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>All dogs tolerated Credelio Quattro well. Efficacy of Credelio Quattro was ≥ 99.0% against L₄ A. caninum, ≥ 99.8% against immature adult A. caninum, ≥ 99.9% against adult A. caninum, and ≥ 99.6% against adult U. stenocephala. Additionally, treatment with Credelio Quattro provided a ≥ 99.9% reduction in fecal egg counts 10 days post-treatment.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Credelio Quattro, a novel oral chewable tablet administered at the minimum effective dosages of 20 mg/kg lotilaner, 0.02 mg/kg moxidectin, 5.0 mg/kg praziquantel, and 5.0 mg/kg pyrantel (as pamoate salt), was safe and effective for the treatment and control of L₄, immature adult, and adult stages of A. caninum and adult U. stenocephala in dogs.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"125"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143772908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction: First evidence of the effectiveness of a field application of RNAi technology in reducing infestation of the mite Varroa destructor in the western honey bee (Apis mellifera).","authors":"Francesca Bortolin, Emanuele Rigato, Sergio Perandin, Anna Granato, Laura Zulian, Caterina Millino, Beniamina Pacchioni, Franco Mutinelli, Giuseppe Fusco","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06778-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06778-z","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"127"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143772904","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Thioester-containing protein TEP15 promotes malaria parasite development in mosquitoes through negative regulation of melanization.","authors":"Xin Qin, Jianyong Li, Feng Zhu, Jian Zhang","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06772-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06772-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Thioester-containing proteins (TEPs) serve as crucial effectors and regulatory components within the innate immune system of mosquitoes. Despite their significance, the mechanisms by which TEPs exert negative regulation on the immune response in mosquitoes remain inadequately understood. This study aims to elucidate the role of TEPs in the negative regulation of melanization, thereby advancing our comprehension of their regulatory function in the immune response.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We infected female Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes with Plasmodium yoelii by allowing them to feed on pre-infected female Kunming mice. Western blot, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, differential gene expression analyses, and gene silencing were then conducted. Student's t-test was used to analyze continuous variables, with statistical significance defined as p < 0.05.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A. stephensi TEP15 (AsTEP15) negatively regulated mosquitos' innate immunity and promoted Plasmodium development. AsTEP15 knockdown induced mosquito resistance to malaria parasite melanization during the oocyst stage and significantly reduced sporozoite numbers. Further analysis showed that AsTEP15 mainly negatively affects the TEP1 and immune deficiency (IMD) pathway, thereby inhibiting melanization.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>We describe a mosquito TEP that negatively regulates immunity, further enriching the functional diversity of TEP family members. In addition, our results suggest that oocysts may exploit TEPs to escape or inhibit mosquito immunity, highlighting potential targets for blocking malaria transmission.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"124"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143764311","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Brazil was certified by the World Health Organization for having eliminated lymphatic filariasis: what now?","authors":"Eduardo Brandão, Paula Oliveira, Maria Almerice Lopes da Silva, Abraham Rocha","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06707-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06707-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a debilitating and stigmatizing disease. In Brazil, the disease has been the target of control and elimination strategies for more than 25 years. Recently, the country received the certificate of elimination of LF as a public health problem. In this post-elimination moment, the question arises: what now? Given the possibility of emergence and reemergence of the disease, it is important that epidemiological surveillance measures are reviewed and applied effectively.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"123"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11959811/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143753878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phosphatase UBLCP1 is required for the growth, virulence and mitochondrial integrity of Toxoplasma gondii.","authors":"Kaiyin Sheng, Kaiyue Song, Yimin Yang, Haiyan Wu, Zhendong Du, Xueqiu Chen, Yi Yang, Guangxu Ma, Aifang Du","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06766-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06766-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The mitochondrion is proposed as an ideal target organelle for the control of apicomplexan parasites, whose integrity depends on well-controlled protein import, folding, and turnover. The ubiquitin-like domain-containing C-terminal domain phosphatase 1 (UBLCP1) was found to be associated with the mitochondrial integrity in Toxoplasma gondii. However, little is known about the roles and mechanisms of UBLCP1 in this apicomplexan parasite.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The subcellular localization of UBLCP1 in the tachyzoites of T. gondii was determined by an indirect immunofluorescence assay. The roles of UBLCP1 in the growth, cell cycle, and division of T. gondii were assessed by knocking out this molecule in the tachyzoites. Comparative phosphoproteomics between the UBLCP1-deficient and wild-type tachyzoites were performed to understand the roles of UBLCP1 in T. gondii. The virulence of UBLCP1-deficient tachyzoites of T. gondii was tested in mice.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>UBLCP1 is expressed in the nucleus and cytoplasm of T. gondii tachyzoites. Tachyzoites lacking UBLCP1 exhibit collapsed mitochondrion, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, and compromised growth and proliferation in vitro. Proteins involved in protein turnover and intracellular trafficking have been found differentially phosphorylated in the UBLCP1-deficient tachyzoites compared with the control. Deletion of UBLCP1 also shows that this phosphatase is essential for the propagation and virulence of T. gondii tachyzoites. Mice immunized with UBLCP1-deficient T. gondii tachyzoites survived challenges with the virulent PRU or VEG strain.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>UBLCP1 is required for the mitochondrial integrity and essential in the lytic cycle (e.g., host cell invasion and parasite replication) in vitro and the pathogenicity of this parasite in vivo. UBLCP1 is a candidate target for a vaccine or a drug for toxoplasmosis in animals.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"122"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11951701/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143743526","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cytokine pattern during asymptomatic Anaplasma spp. infections and effect of co-infections by malaria and helminths in schoolchildren of Franceville, southeastern Gabon.","authors":"Chérone Nancy Mbani Mpega Ntigui, Sandrine Lydie Oyegue-Liabagui, Jenny Mouloungui-Mavoungou, Nal Kennedy Ndjangangoye, Desly Luide Madoungou Idoumi, Lady Charlene Kouna, Roland Fabrice Kassa Kassa, Nancy Diamella Moukodoum, Steede Seinnat Ontoua, Roméo Karl Imboumy Limoukou, Jean-Claude Biteghe Bi Essone, Alain Prince Okouga, Félicien Bagueboussa, Jean-Bernard Lekana-Douki","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06714-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06714-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Asymptomatic infections by Anaplasma spp. and the basis of the immune response during these infections have not yet been established. This study investigated the inflammatory cytokine responses during Anaplasma spp. infection in school children and the effect of co-infection with Plasmodium spp. and helminths.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Blood and stool samples were taken from children aged 5 to 17 years. Parasitological diagnosis was carried out by RDT and microscopy, while microscopy and PCR were used to diagnose infection by Anaplasma spp. Plasma was used for cytokine assays using the ELISA technique.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 219 children were included in the present study, of whom 205 were infected with Anaplasma spp. and 14 were uninfected. Levels of IL-6, IL-22 and TGF-β were lower not only in children mono-infected with Anaplasma spp. but also in those co-infected with Anaplasma spp. and Plasmodium spp., Anaplasma spp. and helminths, and Anaplasma spp., Plasmodium spp. and helminths compared to controls. However, higher levels of IL-6 and IL-22 were observed in children mono-infected with Anaplasma spp. compared to those co-infected with Anaplasma spp. and helminths. The latter group also had lower levels of IL-6, IL-22, TGF-β and IL-10 than children co-infected with Anaplasma spp. and Plasmodium spp. In addition, children co-infected with Anaplasma spp. and helminths had also lower TGF-β and IL-10 levels than children co-infected with Anaplasma spp., Plasmodium spp. and helminths. An increase of IFN-γ and IL-10 were observed in children co-infected with Anaplasma spp. and Plasmodium spp. compared to those mono-infected with Anaplasma spp. Finally, the results showed that febrile children infected with Anaplasma spp. had higher levels of IFN-γ and lower levels of TGF-β than afebrile children.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These results suggest that infection with Anaplasma spp. downregulates cytokines including IL-6, IL-22 and TGF-β and that co-infection with Plasmodium spp. might have a protective effect on the host, while co-infection with helminths might have a negative effect.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"118"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11948865/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143731201","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction: Forecasting invasive mosquito abundance in the Basque Country, Spain using machine learning techniques.","authors":"Vanessa Steindorf, Hamna Mariyam K B, Nico Stollenwerk, Aitor Cevidanes, Jesús F Barandika, Patricia Vazquez, Ana L García-Pérez, Maíra Aguiar","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06770-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06770-7","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"120"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11951596/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143731199","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of various membranes for blood-feeding in nine sand fly species and artificial feeding challenges in Sergentomyia minuta.","authors":"Anna Hošková, Barbora Vojtková, Markéta Stejskalová, Nikola Polanská, Magdalena Jančářová, Lidiane Medeiros da Costa, Mauricio Roberto Viana Sant Anna, Petr Volf, Jovana Sádlová","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06729-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06729-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>We evaluated various membranes for blood-feeding in nine sand fly species from different genera and subgenera. Most of these species are vectors of human-pathogenic Leishmania, whereas Sergentomyia minuta is a herpetophilic sand fly species and a proven vector of Leishmania (Sauroleishmania) tarentolae.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Female sand flies were offered blood through a range of membranes (chicken, reptilian, and frog skin; synthetic collagen; pig intestine; and duck foot webbing). Two feeding systems (glass feeder, Hemotek) and different blood sources (human, ovine, avian, and reptilian) were used. Feeding trials were conducted under varying thermal and light conditions to determine the optimal parameters.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the 4950 female S. minuta tested, only a negligible fraction took a blood meal: 2% of the females fed on avian blood, and 0.2% of the females fed on human blood. In eight other species, the chicken membrane was generally more effective than synthetic membranes or pig intestines. For example, Phlebotomus duboscqi refused synthetic membranes, while Lutzomyia longipalpis and P. perniciosus avoided both synthetic membranes and pig intestines. The most effective membrane was duck foot webbing, with four species feeding more readily through it than through the chicken membrane. Additionally, applying coagulated blood plasma to the outer surface of chicken or synthetic membranes significantly increased feeding rates.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Female S. minuta did not reliably feed on blood through the tested membranes, preventing laboratory infection experiments from confirming their vector competence for human-pathogenic Leishmania. However, for future experimental infections of other sand fly species, duck foot webbing has emerged as an effective membrane, and the application of blood plasma to the exterior of membranes may increase the feeding rates.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"119"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11951564/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143731203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"m5C methylation of mitochondrial RNA and non-coding RNA by NSUN3 is associated with variant gene expression and asexual blood-stage development in Plasmodium falciparum.","authors":"Ruoyu Tang, Xuan Chen, Xiaomin Shang, Ye Hu, Binbin Lu, Xuli Du, Junlong Yang, Fengshuo Zhang, Fei Wang, Zuping Zhang, Yanli Bai, Qingfeng Zhang, Yanting Fan","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06746-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06746-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Malaria is caused by Plasmodium spp. and is a prevalent parasitic disease worldwide. To evade detection by the immune system, by switching variant gene expression, the malaria parasite continually establishes new patterns displaying a single variant erythrocyte surface antigen. The distinct surface molecules encoded by clonally variant gene families include var, rif, stevor, Pfmc-2tm, and surfins. However, the mechanism behind the exclusive expression of a single member of the variant gene family is still not clear. This study aims to describe the molecular process of variant gene switching from the perspective of the epitranscriptome, specifically by characterizing the role of the Plasmodium falciparum RNA m5C methyltransferase NSUN3.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A conditional gene knockdown approach was adopted by incorporating the glucosamine-inducible glmS ribozyme sequence into the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of the pfnsun3 gene. A transgenic parasite line PfNSUN3-Ty1-Ribo was generated using CRISPR-Cas9 methods. The knockdown effect in the transgenic parasite was measured by a growth curve assay and western blot analysis. The transcriptome changes influenced by PfNUSN3 knockdown were detected by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), and the direct RNA transcripts regulated by PfNUSN3 were validated by RNA immunoprecipitation and high-throughput sequencing (RIP-seq).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Growth curve analysis revealed that conditional knockdown of PfNSUN3 interfered with parasite growth. The parasitemia of the PfNSUN3 knockdown line showed a significant decline at the third round of the life cycle compared with the control line. The knockdown of PfNSUN3 altered the global transcriptome. RNA-seq analysis showed that at the ring-stage depletion of PfNSUN3 silenced almost all var genes, as well as the guanine/cytosine (GC)-rich non-coding RNA (ncRNA) ruf6 family. RNA RIP-seq arrays revealed that PfNSUN3 directly interacted with several var genes.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings demonstrate a vital role of PfNSUN3 in the process of the mutually exclusive expression of variant genes, and contribute to a better understanding of the complex mechanism of epigenetic regulation of gene expression in P. falciparum.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"121"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11951620/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143731205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}