Lysophosphatidylcholine regulates sexual stage differentiation in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum

Purpose: The goal of this study was to identify genes associated with increased sexual differentiation in P. falciparum. Method: RNAseq analysis of two different P. falciparum strains (NF54 and Pf2004/164tdTom) cultured under sexual differentiation-inducing (-SerM) and non-inducing (-SerM/LysoPC and -SerM/Serum) conditions Results: We found a total of 342 genes significantly induced in response to LysoPC depletion, thereby determining changes associated with sexual differentiation and limiting Kenndedy pathway substrates. Overall design: RNAseq profiles were generated from tightly synchonised P. falciparum cultures during the process of sexual commitment, in 2 different stains, using 3 different conditions. mRNA was collected from 3 consecutive time points each.