Characterization of Plasmodium Kinesin-8X

Kinesin-8 molecular motors play important roles in mitosis in many eukaryotes. An analysis of kinesin-8s in Plasmodium was done to establish their roles in this important parasitic pathogen, using rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei as a model. This study focused on one such kinesin, labeled kinesin-8X, which was discovered by phylogenetic analysis. The localization of kinesin-8X throughout the parasite life cycle was investigated, as well as the phenotypic and transcriptomic effects of knocking out this protein. It was found that kinesin-8X associates with mitotic spindles during atypical cell division in the Plasmodium parasite.RNA-seq was done on both wild-type parasites and a strain with the kinesin-8X gene deleted, all at the gametocyte stage of the parasite life cycle. In addition, samples were taken either before activation of gametocytes (0 min) or after exflagellation, at 30 min after gametocyte activation. Many genes were found to be differentially expressed, including upregulated genes related to microtubule activity that may compensate for the loss of kinesin-8X.