Table 1.

P. falciparum gametocyte sex-specific primers and probes.

Name	Sequence	Sex
Pfs230p-FW	5′-CCCAACTAATCGAAGGGATGAA-3′	Male
Pfs230p-RV	5′-TTTGTTGTTCGATTCCAGTTGGT-3′	Male
Pfs230p-Probe	VIC-AAACGATCAAACCATCTCA-MGB	Male
Pfs25-FW	5′-TAAAATAGATGGAAATCCCGTTTC-3′	Female
Pfs25-RV	5′-TACCGTTACCACAAGTTACATTCTTAC-3′	Female
Pfs25-Probe	FAM-ATGTAATCTTGGATATGATATGG-MGB	Female

Real-time PCR was carried out separately for male and female gametocytes targeting sex-specific transcripts (Schneider et al., 2015). PCR reactions were run in 25 μl total volume containing cDNA, 1 × TaqMan® Multiplex Master Mix (ThermoFisher Scientific), 200 nM of each primers, and 150 nM of probes (Life Technologies) using similar programme (an initial denaturation step at 95 °C for 20 s followed by 45 cycles of 95 °C for 1 s and 60 °C for 20 s) for both assays.