CRISPR/Cas9-engineered inducible gametocyte producer lines as a valuable tool for Plasmodium falciparum malaria transmission research.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 34376675.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-021-24954-4 and PMC identifier 8355313.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum replicates inside erythrocytes in the blood of infected humans. During each replication cycle, a small proportion of parasites commits to sexual development and differentiates into gametocytes, which are essential for parasite transmission via the mosquito vector. Detailed molecular investigation of gametocyte biology and transmission has been hampered by difficulties in generating large numbers of these highly specialised cells. Here, we engineer P. falciparum NF54 inducible gametocyte producer (iGP) lines for the routine mass production of synchronous gametocytes via conditional overexpression of the sexual commitment factor GDV1. NF54/iGP lines consistently achieve sexual commitment rates of 75% and produce viable gametocytes that are transmissible by mosquitoes. We also demonstrate that further genetic engineering of NF54/iGP parasites is a valuable tool for the targeted exploration of gametocyte biology. In summary, we believe the iGP approach developed here will greatly expedite basic and applied malaria transmission stage research.
Medical subject headings
- CRISPR-Cas Systems
- Malaria, Falciparum
- Plasmodium falciparum
- Spores, Protozoan