Figure 4.

Treatment of Plasmodium cultures with UA derivatives inhibits normal ookinete development. (a) P. berghei ANKA parasites from both treatment and control cultures were labeled with anti-Pbs21 antibody to evaluate the effect of UA derivatives (250 μg/mL) on ookinete development. DMSO-control group ookinetes showed the characteristic elongated shape typical of normal development after 24 h. In contrast, ookinete cultures at 24 h exposed to either BT37 or BT122 showed the presence of small round cells that expressed Pbs21 but failed to transform into elongated ookinetes. (b) Similar results were found for P. falciparum ookinete development in blood meals dissected form mosquito midguts 24 h post feeding. Mosquitoes fed infectious blood meals with DMSO alone show retorts in the process of elongation at 24 h, while those fed blood and gametocytes with BT122 showed impaired development inside A. gambiae mosquitoes at 24 h post blood feeding. Scale bar = ~10 μm.