title: Plasmodium falciparum: synchronization of cultures with DL-alpha-difluoromethylornithine, an inhibitor of polyamine biosynthesis.
abstract: DL-alpha-Difluoromethylornithine, an inhibitor of polyamine biosynthesis, was tested for its ability to synchronize Plasmodium falciparum. Asynchronous cultures were pretreated with sorbitol and incubated for 28-30 hr. Then, when cultures consisted of mainly schizont stage parasites, DL-alpha-difluoromethylornithine was added to the growth medium for another 38-47 hr of incubation. Putrescine was added to parasites arrested at the early trophozoite stage. This resulted in a synchronous resumption of growth. After 19 hr, 83% of parasites were at the schizont stage. After 30 hr, more than 98% of the parasites were in the ring form stage. Furthermore, the transformation of early trophozoites to schizonts occurred within 3 hr, with a slight reduction in parasitemia. Synchrony was maintained for 4-5 biological cycles as confirmed also by flow fluorimetry. It appears that this new approach to synchronize P. falciparum cultures is simple, reproducible, and effective.
authors.forename: Y G
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Assaraf
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Golenser
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Spira
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bachrach
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000518:Eflornithine; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods; D007700:Kinetics; D009952:Ornithine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D065108:Ornithine Decarboxylase Inhibitors; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D011073:Polyamines / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D065108:Ornithine Decarboxylase Inhibitors; D011073:Polyamines; D009952:Ornithine; D000518:Eflornithine