title: A Plasmodium falciparum strain expressing GFP throughout the parasite's life-cycle.
abstract: The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for the majority of malaria-related deaths. Tools allowing the study of the basic biology of P. falciparum throughout the life cycle are critical to the development of new strategies to target the parasite within both human and mosquito hosts. We here present 3D7HT-GFP, a strain of P. falciparum constitutively expressing the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) throughout the life cycle, which has retained its capacity to complete sporogonic development. The GFP expressing cassette was inserted in the Pf47 locus. Using this transgenic strain, parasite tracking and population dynamics studies in mosquito stages and exo-erythrocytic schizogony is greatly facilitated. The development of 3D7HT-GFP will permit a deeper understanding of the biology of parasite-host vector interactions, and facilitate the development of high-throughput malaria transmission assays and thus aid development of new intervention strategies against both parasite and mosquito.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cell and Molecular Biology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Arthur M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Talman
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Blagborough
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Sinden
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D009033:Culicidae / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005453:Fluorescence; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology; D008018:Life Cycle Stages / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection; D019076:Transgenes / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins