Table 1 Key advances from recent omics studies

Genome sequencing

WGS and refinement of genome sequences of primate and rodent infectious Plasmodium species

[13, 154–157, 179]

Genome sequence of cryptic chimpanzee Plasmodium species

[158]

Gene expression regulation

Discovery of AP2-G as master regulator of gametocytogenesis in Pf and Pb

[49, 50]

AP2-G2 functions as a transcription regulator driving gametocyte development

[51]

Functional analysis of Pf lifecycle dynamics using transcriptional profiling

[180]

Genome-wide TSS mapping in Pf

[42]

Acetylome analysis reveals post-translational PTM of ApiAP2 transcription factors

[55]

Genome-wide analysis of AP2-O target genes

[48]

Post-transcriptional/translational control

Genome-wide analysis reveals features of the Pf translatome

[59, 66]

Analysis of the Pb maternal repressome

[64]

Epigenetic control

SETvs functions as a regulator of var gene silencing in Pf

[98]

Involvement of HP1 in clonal variant gene expression and sexual development

[29]

HDA2 mediates var gene silencing and sexual commitment in Pf

[27]

BDP1 regulates expression of invasion-related genes

[31]

Profiling of histone PTMs in Pf

[22]

Gene silencing/editing

First description of the use of ZFN and CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in Plasmodium

[115, 116, 140]

Functional adaptation of an AID-based conditional knockdown system in Pb

[159]

Antibiotic resistance

Analysis of KELCH13-propellermutations in Plasmodium field isolates confirms relation to artemisinin resistance

[115, 116]

Identification of UPR pathway involvement in Plasmodium artemisinin resistance

[123, 126]

Genome structure

First profiling of genome-wide chromosome interactions

[39]

Strong correlation between spatial genome structure and gene expression

[37]

ncRNAs

PfRNaseII exonuclease is involved in group A var gene silencing

[84]

Genome-wide search revealed over 1000 novel ncRNAs in Pf

[181]

Strand-specific RNA sequencing reveals widespread transcription of antisense RNAs in Pf

[16–18]

Antisense lncRNAs regulate expression of cognate var genes in Pf

[87]

Virulence/transmission

Vector transmission of P. chabaudi chabaudi impacts on parasite virulence

[182]

Transcriptome changes during early phase of mosquito infection

[183]

Development

Global phosphoproteome analysis identified PKG as major intracellular Ca²⁺ level regulator

[184]

PKG regulates Plasmodium egress and evasion

[185]

Systematic subtractive bioinformatic analysis identified sex-specific stage V gametocyte protein marker

[186]

Protein phosphatases are key regulators of Plasmodium development

[187]

Population genomics

Identification of a novel malaria resistance locus through GWAS in African children

[5]

Genomic epidemiology study revels global KELCH13 mutation distribution

[160]

Metablomics

Lipid metabolism analysis in Pf

[151]