The regulatory genome of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae: integrating chromatin accessibility and gene expression

Ruiz, J. L., Ranford-Cartwright, L. C. and Gomez Diaz, E. (2021) The regulatory genome of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae: integrating chromatin accessibility and gene expression. NAR Genomics and Bioinformatics, 3(1), lqaa113. (doi: 10.1093/nargab/lqaa113) (PMID:33987532) (PMCID:PMC8092447)

[img] Text
232850.pdf - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial.

2MB

Abstract

Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes are primary human malaria vectors, but we know very little about their mechanisms of transcriptional regulation. We profiled chromatin accessibility by the assay for transposase-accessible chromatin by sequencing (ATAC-seq) in laboratory-reared A. gambiae mosquitoes experimentally infected with the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. By integrating ATAC-seq, RNA-seq and ChIP-seq data, we showed a positive correlation between accessibility at promoters and introns, gene expression and active histone marks. By comparing expression and chromatin structure patterns in different tissues, we were able to infer cis-regulatory elements controlling tissue-specific gene expression and to predict the in vivo binding sites of relevant transcription factors. The ATAC-seq assay also allowed the precise mapping of active regulatory regions, including novel transcription start sites and enhancers that were annotated to mosquito immune-related genes. Not only is this study important for advancing our understanding of mechanisms of transcriptional regulation in the mosquito vector of human malaria, but the information we produced also has great potential for developing new mosquito-control and anti-malaria strategies.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness Grant [BFU2015-65000-R to E.G.-D.]; Severo Ochoa Fellowship [BES-2016-076276 to J.L.R.].
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Ranford-Cartwright, Dr Lisa and Gomez Diaz, Dr Elena
Authors: Ruiz, J. L., Ranford-Cartwright, L. C., and Gomez Diaz, E.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
Journal Name:NAR Genomics and Bioinformatics
Publisher:Oxford University Press
ISSN:2631-9268
ISSN (Online):2631-9268
First Published:First published in NAR Genomics and Bioinformatics 3(1):lqaa113

University Staff: Request a correction | Enlighten Editors: Update this record