HMGB proteins modulate chromatin accessibility to coordinate translational capacity in malaria parasites [ATAC-seq]

This plasticity is largely driven by mechanisms that modulate chromatin structure and gene expression. However, while chromatin dynamics are established regulators of transcriptional control in P. falciparum, their role in regulating expression of the translational machinery is underexplored.

Thus, the mechanisms that link chromatin organization to the control of protein synthesis remain poorly defined. Here, we identify two High Mobility Group B proteins, PfHMGB1 and PfHMGB2, as essential chromatin modulators that specifically regulate chromatin accessibility of translation-associated genes. PfHMGB1 and PfHMGB2 co-localize in the nucleus, exhibit highly overlapping interactomes, and bind to similar genome-wide loci.