Plasmodium_falciparum_Gametocyte_Time_Course_Single_Cell_RNA_seq_10x_v3

The transcriptional processes underlying the sexual development of Plasmodium parasites are complex and tightly regulated. Here, we describe a rich atlas of short and long read single cell transcriptomes of ~37,700 Plasmodium falciparum cells across intraerythrocytic asexual and sexual development. Our results reveal distinct transcriptional modules and exon usage along sexual differentiation and development. We applied the atlas to, and expanded it to include, malaria parasites collected from an individual infected with multiple P. falciparum strains in an endemic region in Mali. We investigated genotypic and transcriptional heterogeneity within and among wild strains at a single cell level for the first time. This sexual development atlas from lab parasites, enhanced with cells from wild strains, is a key new addition to the Malaria Cell Atlas, enabling deeper understanding of the biology and diversity transmission stages.