Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40164831›Full record

ArticleNature microbiology2025

Parasite and vector circadian clocks mediate efficient malaria transmission.

Inês Bento, Brianna A Parrington, Rushlenne Pascual, Alexander S Goldberg, Eileen Wang, Hani Liu, Helene Borrmann, Mira Zelle, Nicholas Coburn, Joseph S Takahashi and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature microbiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Inês Bento *Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine, Lisbon, Portugal.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1049-1443
Brianna A Parrington *Berkeley Public Health, Molecular and Cell Biology Department, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8516-7875
Rushlenne Pascual *Berkeley Public Health, Molecular and Cell Biology Department, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Alexander S GoldbergBerkeley Public Health, Molecular and Cell Biology Department, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-4982-9661
Eileen WangChan Zuckerberg Biohub - San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Hani LiuBerkeley Public Health, Molecular and Cell Biology Department, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Helene BorrmannBerkeley Public Health, Molecular and Cell Biology Department, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7269-7925
Mira ZelleBerkeley Public Health, Molecular and Cell Biology Department, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-5209-6905
Nicholas CoburnBerkeley Public Health, Molecular and Cell Biology Department, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-5144-8907
Joseph S TakahashiDepartment of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0384-8878
Joshua E EliasChan Zuckerberg Biohub - San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8063-3259
Maria M MotaGulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine, Lisbon, Portugal.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2858-1041
Filipa Rijo-FerreiraBerkeley Public Health, Molecular and Cell Biology Department, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA. filipaferreira@berkeley.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4003-020X

Funding

Elucidating the mechanism for malaria rhythmicity: an underlying circadian clock of the parasiteR00GM132557 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY · PI RIJO-FERREIRA, FILIPA · 2022 to 2024
$895k
Elucidating the mechanism for malaria rhythmicity: an underlying circadian clock of the parasiteK99GM132557 · NIGMS · UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER · PI RIJO-FERREIRA, FILIPA · 2019 to 2021
$122k
European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) ALTF-84-2023Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) emerging pathogens initiativeKinship Foundation searle scholars"la Caixa" Foundation (Caixa Foundation) HR17-00264-PoEMMNIGMS NIH HHS K99 GM132557NIGMS NIH HHS R00 GM132557U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) 1K99GM132557
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Malaria transmission begins when Anopheles mosquitos deposit saliva and Plasmodium parasites during a bloodmeal. As Anopheles mosquitos are nocturnal, we investigated whether their salivary glands are under circadian control, anticipating bloodmeals and modulating parasite biology for host encounters. Here we show that approximately half of the mosquito salivary gland transcriptome, particularly genes essential for efficient bloodmeals such as anti-blood clotting factors, exhibits circadian expression. Furthermore, measuring haemoglobin levels, we demonstrate that mosquitos prefer to feed and ingest more blood at nighttime. Notably, we show a substantial subset of the salivary-gland-resident parasite transcriptome cycling throughout the day, indicating that this stage is not transcriptionally quiescent. Among the sporozoite genes undergoing rhythmic expression are those involved in parasite motility, potentially modulating the ability to initiate infection at different times of day. Our findings suggest a circadian tripartite relationship between the vector, parasite and mammalian host that together modulates malaria transmission.

Indexed as

AnophelesCircadian ClocksMalariaMosquito VectorsAnimalsCircadian RhythmGene Expression ProfilingHost-Parasite InteractionsHumansPlasmodiumSalivary GlandsSporozoitesTranscriptome

Identifiers

PMID40164831
PMCPMC11964930

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.