Malaria Parasite Stress Tolerance Is Regulated by DNMT2-Mediated tRNA Cytosine Methylation
Elie Hammam, Ameya Sinha, Sebastian Baumgarten, Flore Nardella, Jiaqi Liang, Samia Miled, Frédéric Bonhomme, Diane Erdmann, Benoit Arcangioli, Paola B. Arimondo, Peter Dedon, Peter Preiser, Artur Scherf
Abstract
P. falciparum is the most virulent malaria parasite species, accounting for the majority of the disease mortality and morbidity. Understanding how this pathogen is able to adapt to different cellular and environmental stressors during its complex life cycle is crucial in order to develop new strategies to tackle the disease. In this study, we identified the writer of a specific tRNA cytosine methylation site as a new layer of epitranscriptomic regulation in malaria parasites that regulates the translation of a subset of parasite proteins (>400) involved in different metabolic pathways. Our findings give insight into a novel molecular mechanism that regulates P. falciparum response to drug treatment and sexual commitment.