Plasmodium male development gene-1 (mdv-1) is important for female sexual development and identifies a polarised plasma membrane during zygote development.

International Journal for Parasitology
Kalpana LalRobert E Sinden

Abstract

Successful development of Plasmodium sexual stages is essential for parasite survival, but the genes involved are poorly understood. We 'knocked out' the male development gene-1 (mdv-1) locus in Plasmodium berghei and found it to be important in female gametocyte activation. Indirect immunofluorescence assays show MDV-1 has a punctate cytoplasmic distribution in gametocytes. After activation of both females and males, MDV-1 is more peripherally located but in males exclusively it becomes concentrated in a few large foci. In vitro ookinete conversion assays that test the ability of activated female gametocytes to develop into retort stage ookinetes, suggests a complicit role for MDV-1, with the knock-out parasite producing 86% reduction in ookinetes. The retort stage ookinete develops from the zygote by increasing growth of an apical protrusion and MDV-1 locates at the 'leading' extracellular apical pole of this protrusion. In the fully developed ookinete MDV-1 is localised to the posterior pole. In vivo, the knock-out parasites demonstrate a phenotype in which there is a 90% reduction of parasite transmission to oocysts in mosquitoes.

References

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Citations

Aug 21, 2013·Parasitology·Robert A WalkerNicholas C Smith
Jul 7, 2009·Annual Review of Microbiology·Ahmed S I AlyStefan H I Kappe
Nov 16, 2011·Future Microbiology·Zhenyu LiuLiwang Cui
Jan 30, 2010·Journal of Biomedicine & Biotechnology·Andrea Kuehn, Gabriele Pradel
Oct 1, 2011·Molecular Microbiology·Arthur M TalmanRobert E Sinden
Jul 28, 2011·Cellular Microbiology·Elena DeligianniInga Siden-Kiamos
Jun 6, 2018·Frontiers in Microbiology·Wei WangQijun Chen
Jul 17, 2020·Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology·Wenqi ZhengYaming Cao
Mar 23, 2021·Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology·Katja MüllerKai Matuschewski

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