[HTML][HTML] Molecular tools for analysis of gene function in parasitic microorganisms

M Meissner, C Agop-Nersesian, WJ Sullivan - Applied microbiology and …, 2007 - Springer
M Meissner, C Agop-Nersesian, WJ Sullivan
Applied microbiology and biotechnology, 2007Springer
With the completion of several genome sequences for parasitic protozoa, research in
molecular parasitology entered the “post-genomic” era. Accompanied by global
transcriptome and proteome analysis, huge datasets have been generated that have added
many novel candidates to the list of drug and vaccine targets. The challenge is now to
validate these factors and to bring science back to the bench to perform a detailed
characterization. In some parasites, like Trypanosoma brucei, high-throughput genetic …
Abstract
With the completion of several genome sequences for parasitic protozoa, research in molecular parasitology entered the “post-genomic” era. Accompanied by global transcriptome and proteome analysis, huge datasets have been generated that have added many novel candidates to the list of drug and vaccine targets. The challenge is now to validate these factors and to bring science back to the bench to perform a detailed characterization. In some parasites, like Trypanosoma brucei, high-throughput genetic screens have been established using RNA interference [for a detailed review, see Motyka and Englund (2004)]. In most protozoan parasites, however, more time-consuming approaches have to be employed to identify and characterize the function of promising candidates in detail. This review aims to summarize the status of molecular genetic tools available for a variety of protozoan pathogens and discuss how they can be implemented to advance our understanding of parasite biology.
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