title: Plasmodium male development gene-1 (mdv-1) is important for female sexual development and identifies a polarised plasma membrane during zygote development.
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.
authors.affiliation: The Division of Cell and Molecular Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK. Kalpana.lal@imperial.ac.uk
authors.forename: Kalpana
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lal
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Delves
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bromley
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wastling
authors.forename: Fiona M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Tomley
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Sinden
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D000852:Anopheles / Q000469:parasitology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D005718:Gametogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D050437:Genes, Developmental / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D033661:Oocysts / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D010641:Phenotype; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000469:parasitology; D020543:Proteome / Q000502:physiology; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011817:Rabbits; D012744:Sex Ratio; D046468:Sexual Development; D015053:Zygote / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D020543:Proteome; D015800:Protozoan Proteins