title: Transgenic Plasmodium berghei sporozoites expressing beta-galactosidase for quantification of sporozoite transmission.
abstract: Malaria transmission occurs during a blood-meal of an infected Anopheles mosquito. Visualization and quantification of sporozoites along the journey from the mosquito midgut, where they develop, to the vertebrate liver, their final target organ, is important for understanding many aspects of sporozoite biology. Here we describe the generation of Plasmodium berghei parasites that express the reporter gene lacZ as a stable transgene, under the control of the sporozoite-specific CSP promoter. Transgenic sporozoites expressing beta-galactosidase can be simply visualized and quantified in an enzymatic assay. In addition, these sporozoites can be used to quantify sporozoites deposited in subcutaneous tissue during natural infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Heidelberg University School of Medicine, INF 324, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Engelmann
authors.forename: Photini
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sinnis
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matuschewski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D000852:Anopheles / Q000469:parasitology; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D008288:Malaria / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000635:transmission*; D051379:Mice; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D034101:Sporozoites / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C041595:circumsporozoite protein, Protozoan; D001616:beta-Galactosidase