PfDOZI protein-protein interaction in plasmodium falciparum

Here, we characterized an RNA binding protein (RBP), PfDOZI, which is an integral cytoplasmic component of RNP granule. We observed that deleting pfdozi led to an asexual growth advantage due to the escalated merozoite invasion capacity. Also, pfdozi disruption resulted in a significant impairment in gametocyte commitment and morphology development. Through high-throughput RNA-seq, we revealed that PfDOZI affected the transcriptome in both asexual and sexual stages when pfdozi was deleted. Mechanically, we confirmed that PfDOZI could interact with P body like mRNP in the schizont stage, while stress granule-like granule in gametocyte stage. The identification of PfDOZI protein complex in stressed schizont further indicate PfDOZI could shift its function from mRNA degradation to translation repression during stage conversion.