Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 May 26.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Microbiol. 2018 Nov 26;4(1):144–154. doi: 10.1038/s41564-018-0291-7

Figure 5. PfAP2-G expression dynamics.

Figure 5.

a, IFA analysis of PfAP2-G-HA and the early gametocyte marker Pfs16 in E5-HA cultures. Images are representative of six independent experiments. Scale bar, 2 µm. b, IFA analysis of PfAP2-G-HA and the gametocyte marker Pfg27 in E5-HA GlcNAc-treated gametocyte cultures. Images are representative of three independent experiments. Scale bar, 2 µm. c, IFA analysis of PfAP2-G-HA and the gametocyte marker Pfs16 at different h post-invasion (hpi) in Shld-treated E5-HA-DD cultures. d, Proportion of stage I gametocytes (Pfs16-positive) positive for PfAP2-G-HA nuclear signal. In panels c and d, values are the average of two independent biological replicates (red dots). e, IFA analysis of PfAP2-G-eYFP expression in rings arising from FACS-sorted eYFP-negative schizonts of the E5-eYFP line. IFA was performed 3 h (“sorted”) and 20 h (“sorted +20h”, ≤20 hpi rings) after sorting. Pfs16-expression and p values were determined as in Fig. 1f. Values are the average of four independent experiments (red dots), with S.E.M. f, Sexual conversion in E5-HA-DD cultures treated with Shld at 20-25 hpi and with GlcNAc at 5-10 hpi of the following cycle. Shld was removed at the times indicated by the horizontal bars. Gametocytemia was determined at day 7 after GlcNAc addition by analysis of Giemsa-stained smears. “Relative sexual conversion” is the level of sexual conversion (%) relative to the condition in which Shld is present all the time. g, Same as in panel f, but GlcNAc was added simultaneously with Shld at 0-5 hpi to obtain only gametocytes formed by the SCC route. For consistency with panel f, age is expressed as if parasites continued the replicative cycle. In panels f and g, values are the average of three independent biological replicates, with S.E.M. h, A new model of the P. falciparum life cycle in the human blood. Red circles indicate nuclear PfAP2-G expression. When PfAP2-G expression is activated early during the ring stage, gametocyte differentiation proceeds without additional replication (same cycle conversion, SCC). In contrast, when PfAP2-G is activated later, parasites go through one additional round of replication as committed forms before differentiating into gametocytes (next cycle conversion, NCC).