Fig. 4

Differences in H3K9me3-associated heterochromatin between immature female and male gametocytes and ring stage parasites. A Scatter plot shows pearson correlation of mean H3K9me3 coverage per 150 bp bin between the three parasite stages (n = 5 for female gametocytes, n = 2 for male gametocytes, n = 2 for ring stage parasites). R², pearson correlation coefficient. B Table of genes marked differentially with H3K9me3 in the three stages. Red = H3K9me3, grey = no H3K9me3, orange = partial H3K9me3 (in promoter region but not in the gene body), light orange = reduced coverage with H3K9me3, D6M = male day 6 gametocyte, D6F = female day 6 gametocyte, R/S = rings and schizonts. C Overview over transcription profiles (black) and log₂-transformed ChIP/Input ratio tracks of H3K9me3 (dark red) covering the right end of chromosome 14 to depict differences in the subtelomeric region between male and female gametocytes and rings. RNAseq data are shown for males and females from day 4, day 6, and day 10 during gametocytogenesis. The enlargement highlights two regions that are differentially marked: a putative lncRNA identified between Pf3D7_1476500 and Pf3D7_1476600 (left), and acyl-CoA synthetase ACS1a (right). H3K9me3 coverage of the lncRNA locus in rings and day 6 male gametocytes correlates with suppressed transcription in rings and day 10 male gametocytes. H3K9me3 coverage of ACS1a in male and female gametocytes correlates with suppressed transcription throughout gametocyte differentiation