Targeting a novel double-stranded DNA-binding protein of Plasmodium falciparum impairs parasite growth by repressing global gene expression.

These developmental transitions rely on alternating gene expression, which is finely controlled by transcription factors. Here in , we characterised a novel DNA-binding small protein (PfDBSP) that harbours a nuclear localisation signal and localises to the parasite nucleus during the trophozoite and schizont stages.

PfDBSP depicts a strong affinity to double-stranded DNA, and ChIP-Seq analysis of PfDBSP revealed that it binds to 1868 gene elements in the parasite genome, which mainly include genes crucial to parasite survival.