Table 1.
Growth and virulence characteristics of blood stages of gene deletion mutants
| Gene deletion mutant | Day to 0.5–2% parasitemiaa | Multiplication rateb | Hz productionc |
| WTd | 8 (0.2); n = 40 | 10.0 (0.7) | 198.8 (69.8) |
| Δpm4-ae | 9-11; n > 10 | 5.8 (0.5)-7.0 (1.0)f | 129.5 (41.7)f |
| Δpm4-b | 9 (0); n = 2 | 7.7 (0)f | 134.5 (47.6)f |
| Δbp2-a | 8 (0); n = 5 | 10.0 (0) | 177.5 (45.1) |
| Δbp2-b | 8 (0); n = 6 | 10.0 (0) | 188.4 (71.5) |
| Δdpap1-a | 9.5 (0.7); n = 2 | 7.0 (1.0)f | 174.6 (34.0) |
| Δdpap1-b | 9 (0); n = 4 | 7.7 (0)f | 189.2 (62.7) |
| Δapp-a | 12 (0); n = 1 | 4.6 (0)f | 131.8 (50.5)f |
| Δapp-b | 12 (0); n = 4 | 4.6 (0)f | 111.4 (49.7)f |
| Δdap | 8 (0); n = 3 | 10.0 (0) | 223.8 (65.7) |
| Δlap | 15.5 (0.7); n = 2 | 3.3 (0.2)f | 213.6 (78.7) |
| Δbp1-a | 9.7 (0.6); n = 3 | 6.8 (0.8)f | 186.2 (49.2) |
| Δbp1-b | 9 (0); n = 1 | 7.7 (0)f | n.d. |
| Δdpap2 | 8.3 (0.4); n = 4 | 9.4 (1.0) | 187.8 (64.6) |
| Δdpap3-a | 8.3 (0.6); n = 3 | 9.2 (1.3) | 184.5 (86.3) |
| Δdpap3-b | 8 (0); n = 5 | 10.0 (0) | 193.3 (46.8) |
| Δpm4Δbp2-a | 12, 16, 20; n = 3 | 3.4 (1.1)f | 27.2 (36.5)f |
| Δpm4Δbp2-b | 21, 24; n = 2 | 2.3 (0.1)f | 46.1 (51.2)f |
n.d., not determined.
The day on which the parasitemia reaches 2—5% in mice infected with a single parasite in cloning assays. The mean of one cloning experiment and standard deviation are shown (n = the number of mice). For the Δpm4Δbp2 mutants, the days for individual clones are shown.
The multiplication rate (mean and SD) of asexual blood stages per 24 h, calculated based on the “day to 0.5–2% parasitemia” in the cloning assay.
Relative light intensity (mean and SD) of Hz crystals in individual Szs, determined by polarized light microscopy. See Fig.1.
WT, wild type P. berghei ANKA reference lines (cl15cy1, 676m1cl1, and 1037cl1). Data from >10 independent experiments.
pm4 gene-deletion mutants generated by Spaccapelo et al. (2010).
P < 0.0001; Student’s t test.