Malaria Study and Journal Club

As part of my work with the Dinglasan Lab at the University of Florida, I completed an in-depth guided literature review during Spring 2024 focused on the role of histone variant H3.3 in the development and transmission of Plasmodium, the parasite responsible for malaria. My review centered on a 2024 study by Tateishi et al., which investigated how H3.3 regulates gene expression during key sexual stages of the Plasmodium life cycle, particularly in gametocytes and the zygote-to-ookinete transition.

I analyzed how the deletion of H3.3 in Plasmodium berghei (a rodent malaria model) impacted parasite development, genome integrity, and transmission through the mosquito vector. The study revealed that H3.3 acts as an epigenetic regulator crucial for maintaining sexual identity in female gametocytes, repressing male-specific genes to ensure proper fertilization and oocyst formation. I also explored its potential function as a "memory marker" for var gene expression in P. falciparum, which enables the parasite to evade immune detection.

This review sharpened my understanding of malaria biology, epigenetics, and molecular parasitology, while also highlighting the significance of histone dynamics in disease transmission. The project culminated in a journal club presentation, where I synthesized experimental findings and discussed research gaps related to transcriptomic regulation during early sexual development stages in Plasmodium.