Flowcytometric and ImageStream RNA-FISH Gene Expression, Quantification and Phenotypic Characterization of Blood Stages and Sporozoites From Human Malaria Species

Camilla Luiza-Batista (1, 2) , Flore Nardella (1) , Sabine Thiberge (1) , Malika Serra-Hassoun (1) , Marcelo U. Ferreira (3) , Artur Scherf (1) , Sylvie Garcia (1)

1 Biologie des Interactions Hôte-Parasite - Biology of Host-Parasite Interactions
2 ED515 - Ecole Doctorale Complexité du Vivant
3 USP - Universidade de São Paulo = University of São Paulo

We adapted the RNA FISH Stellaris method to specifically detect the expression of Plasmodium genes by flow cytometry and ImageStream (Flow-FISH). This new method accurately quantified the erythrocytic forms of (1) Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax and (2) the sexual stages of P vivax from patient isolates. ImageStream analysis of liver stage sporozoites using a combination of surface circumsporozoite protein (CSP), deoxyribonucleic acid, and 18S RNA labeling proved that the new Flow-FISH is suitable for gene expression studies of transmission stages. This powerful multiparametric single-cell method offers a platform of choice for both applied and fundamental research on the biology of malaria parasites.

Keywords: flow analyses; Plasmodium; RNA-FISH

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]

Camilla Luiza-Batista, Flore Nardella, Sabine Thiberge, Malika Serra-Hassoun, Marcelo U. Ferreira, et al.. Flowcytometric and ImageStream RNA-FISH Gene Expression, Quantification and Phenotypic Characterization of Blood Stages and Sporozoites From Human Malaria Species. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2022, 225 (9), pp.1621-1625. ⟨10.1093/infdis/jiab431⟩. ⟨pasteur-03727545⟩