Figure 3. Host cell ploidy preference is conserved among Plasmodium species.
HC04 cells infected with the human parasite P. falciparum have a decreased percentage 2n cells and an increased percentage 4n cells at 2 hpi (A). The infection rate with P. falciparum increases correlating to ploidy (B). A similar pattern of decrease in 2n cells in infected population holds true for the rodent parasite P. berghei (C). Similarly, 4n cells had an increased rate of infection (D). The amount of preference away from 2n cells holds very steady in all three parasites. No significant difference in the ratio of infected to uninfected cells is found between species (E). Dashed lines in (B) and (D) indicate overall infection rate.