Dr Joana Santos
Published: 30 January 2026
Friday, 13 February 2026, 2-3pm
- Researcher at Institute of Integrative Biology (I2BC), CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay
- Location: Room C222, BHF & Zoom
- Passcode: 184704
Title: There is more to "AP2-1" than invasion
Synopsis:
The Plasmodium falciparum ApiAP2 protein AP2-I was first identified as a key factor implicated in red blood cell invasion—a process essential for parasite survival. BDP1, a bromodomain-containing protein, was also shown to regulate the expression of genes critical for red blood cell invasion. However, the nature of the interaction between these two proteins remained unclear.
Through a combination of assays in insect cells, bacteria, and parasites, we demonstrated that AP2-I and BDP1 interact directly. We also identified the protein-interacting domains in both proteins. Notably, in BDP1, we discovered a novel protein region, which we named BAAS (Bromodomain-Ankyrin Associated Sequence). Unlike the bromodomain and ankyrin domains of BDP1—both of which are conserved in human proteins—BAAS is unique to the Apicomplexa phylum.
Using AlphaScan, a bioinformatics pipeline developed at the I2BC BioI2 facility that leverages AlphaFold to predict protein-protein interactions from protein fragments, I will present evidence that the BDP1 BAAS domain likely functions as a protein-protein interaction platform. I will also provide data suggesting that the AP2-I/BDP1 complex may be present beyond Plasmodium.
Finally, I will discuss the multifaceted roles of AP2-I during the intraerythrocytic development of the parasite, demonstrating that its function extends beyond the regulation of red blood cell invasion. I will particularly focus on the role of AP2-I in early sexual commitment.
Bio:
Originally from Portugal, I earned my bachelor’s degree in Genetics at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon. My introduction to the malaria parasite took place during a one-year internship at New York University, where I worked in the laboratory of Dr. Photini Sinnis.
In 2026, I moved to Geneva, Switzerland, to pursue a PhD in the team of Dr. Dominique Soldati-Favre as part of the MalPar PhD program. My thesis focused on host cell invasion by the Toxoplasma parasite, with a specific emphasis on the role of proteases.
In 2011, I returned to the US to do a postdoc in the lab of Dr. Manuel Llinás, first at Princeton University and later at Pennsylvania State University. During this time, I investigated several ApiAP2 proteins of Plasmodium falciparum.
In 2017, I moved to France, first to Toulouse, and then, in 2020, to Gif-sur-Yvette, south of Paris, to establish the MalReg team at the Institute of Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC). We focus on elucidating the transcriptional regulation mechanisms of the malaria parasite.
First published: 30 January 2026
<< Seminars