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Kuehnel RM, Ganga E, Balestra AC, Suarez C, Wyss M, Klages N, Brusini L, Maco B, Brancucci N, Voss TS, Soldati D, Brochet M. A Plasmodium membrane receptor platform integrates cues for egress and invasion in blood forms and activation of transmission stages. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf2161. [PMID: 37327340 PMCID: PMC10275601 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf2161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Critical events in the life cycle of malaria-causing parasites depend on cyclic guanosine monophosphate homeostasis by guanylyl cyclases (GCs) and phosphodiesterases, including merozoite egress or invasion of erythrocytes and gametocyte activation. These processes rely on a single GCα, but in the absence of known signaling receptors, how this pathway integrates distinct triggers is unknown. We show that temperature-dependent epistatic interactions between phosphodiesterases counterbalance GCα basal activity preventing gametocyte activation before mosquito blood feed. GCα interacts with two multipass membrane cofactors in schizonts and gametocytes: UGO (unique GC organizer) and SLF (signaling linking factor). While SLF regulates GCα basal activity, UGO is essential for GCα up-regulation in response to natural signals inducing merozoite egress and gametocyte activation. This work identifies a GC membrane receptor platform that senses signals triggering processes specific to an intracellular parasitic lifestyle, including host cell egress and invasion to ensure intraerythrocytic amplification and transmission to mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronja Marie Kuehnel
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 12111 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Emma Ganga
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 12111 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Aurélia C. Balestra
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 12111 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Catherine Suarez
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 12111 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Wyss
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Natacha Klages
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 12111 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Lorenzo Brusini
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 12111 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bohumil Maco
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 12111 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Brancucci
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Till S. Voss
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 12111 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Mathieu Brochet
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 12111 Geneva, Switzerland
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Abstract
Traditional and modern approaches have been applied to combat the malaria disease. Malaria eradication is a priority in several developing countries. Transmission-blocking vaccines are one of the suggested solutions for malaria eradication. Therefore, there is a demand for introducing the new targets and evaluation methods. Standard membrane feeding assay is the base of the evaluation process of transmission-blocking candidate molecules. Hence, this process is explained in this chapter in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbasali Raz
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Jafar J Sani
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hemn Yousefi
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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A New Thienopyrimidinone Chemotype Shows Multistage Activity against Plasmodium falciparum, Including Artemisinin-Resistant Parasites. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0027421. [PMID: 34724729 PMCID: PMC8557901 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00274-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Human malaria infection begins with a one-time asymptomatic liver stage followed by a cyclic symptomatic blood stage. For decades, the research for novel antimalarials focused on the high-throughput screening of molecules that only targeted the asexual blood stages. In a search for new effective compounds presenting a triple action against erythrocytic and liver stages in addition to the ability to block the transmission of the disease via the mosquito vector, 2-amino-thienopyrimidinone derivatives were synthesized and tested for their antimalarial activity. One molecule, named gamhepathiopine (denoted as “M1” herein), was active at submicromolar concentrations against both erythrocytic (50% effective concentration [EC50] = 0.045 μM) and liver (EC50 = 0.45 μM) forms of Plasmodium falciparum. Furthermore, gamhepathiopine efficiently blocked the development of the sporogonic cycle in the mosquito vector by inhibiting the exflagellation step. Moreover, M1 was active against artemisinin-resistant forms (EC50 = 0.227 μM), especially at the quiescent stage. Nevertheless, in mice, M1 showed modest activity due to its rapid metabolization by P450 cytochromes into inactive derivatives, calling for the development of new parent compounds with improved metabolic stability and longer half-lives. These results highlight the thienopyrimidinone scaffold as a novel antiplasmodial chemotype of great interest to search for new drug candidates displaying multistage activity and an original mechanism of action with the potential to be used in combination therapies for malaria elimination in the context of artemisinin resistance. IMPORTANCE This work reports a new chemical structure that (i) displays activity against the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum at 3 stages of the parasitic cycle (blood stage, hepatic stage, and sexual stages), (ii) remains active against parasites that are resistant to the first-line treatment recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the treatment of severe malaria (artemisinins), and (iii) reduces transmission of the parasite to the mosquito vector in a mouse model. This new molecule family could open the way to the conception of novel antimalarial drugs with an original multistage mechanism of action to fight against Plasmodium drug resistance and block interhuman transmission of malaria.
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Ramos GQ, Baia-da-Silva DC, Lacerda MVG, Monteiro WM, Lopes SCP. Viability and Infectivity of Plasmodium vivax Gametocytes in Short-Term Culture. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:676276. [PMID: 34141630 PMCID: PMC8204544 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.676276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The control and elimination of malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax both represent a great challenge due to the biological aspects of the species. Gametocytes are the forms responsible for the transmission of the parasite to the vector and the search for new strategies for blocking transmission are essential in a scenario of control and elimination The challenges in this search in regard to P. vivax mainly stem from the lack of a long-term culture and the limitation of studies of gametocytes. This study evaluated the viability and infectivity of P. vivax gametocytes in short-term culture. The samples enriched in gametocytes using Percoll (i), using magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS®) (ii), and using non-enriched samples (iii) were evaluated. After the procedures, gametocytes were cultured in IMDM medium for up to 48 h. Cultured P. vivax gametocytes were viable and infectious for up to 48 h, however differences in viability and infectivity were observed in the samples after 12 h of culture in relation to 0 h. Percoll-enriched samples were shown to be viable in culture for longer intervals than those purified using MACS®. Gametocyte viability after enrichment procedures and short-term culture may provide new avenues in the development of methods for evaluating P. vivax TB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenda Quaresma Ramos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
- Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Carlos Borborema, Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Djane Clarys Baia-da-Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
- Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Carlos Borborema, Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil
- Instituto Leônidas & Maria Deane, FIOCRUZ, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Marcus Vinícius Guimarães Lacerda
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
- Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Carlos Borborema, Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil
- Instituto Leônidas & Maria Deane, FIOCRUZ, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Wuelton Marcelo Monteiro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
- Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Carlos Borborema, Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Stefanie Costa Pinto Lopes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
- Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Carlos Borborema, Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil
- Instituto Leônidas & Maria Deane, FIOCRUZ, Manaus, Brazil
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Abstract
The scientific community worldwide has realized that malaria elimination will not be possible without development of safe and effective transmission-blocking interventions. Primaquine, the only WHO recommended transmission-blocking drug, is not extensively utilized because of the toxicity issues in G6PD deficient individuals. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel therapeutic interventions that can target malaria parasites and effectively block transmission. But at first, it is imperative to unravel the existing portfolio of transmission-blocking drugs. This review highlights transmission-blocking potential of current antimalarial drugs and drugs that are in various stages of clinical development. The collective analysis of the relationships between the structure and the activity of transmission-blocking drugs is expected to help in the design of new transmission-blocking antimalarials.
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Critical examination of approaches exploited to assess the effectiveness of transmission-blocking drugs for malaria. Future Med Chem 2018; 10:2619-2639. [PMID: 30499742 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2018-0169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In the absence of clinically proven vaccines and emerging resistance to common antimalarials and insecticides, the onus of interrupting the life cycle of Plasmodium falciparum, is upon the transmission-blocking drugs. Current transmission-blocking drug primaquine finds its use restricted because of associated hemolytic toxicity issues in Glucose-6-Phosphate-Dehydrogenase deficient individuals. This article provides an extensive review of the assays used by the investigators to evaluate the transmission-blocking activity of drugs. Furthermore, limitations in existing transmission-blocking assessment approaches/studies are also covered in detail. This review is expected to help in the identification of lacunae in current understanding of transmission-blocking strategies, which are hindering our efforts to develop sustainable and effective transmission-blocking interventions.
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Colmenarejo G, Lozano S, González-Cortés C, Calvo D, Sanchez-Garcia J, Matilla JLP, Leroy D, Rodrigues J. Predicting transmission blocking potential of anti-malarial compounds in the Mosquito Feeding Assay using Plasmodium falciparum Male Gamete Inhibition Assay. Sci Rep 2018; 8:7764. [PMID: 29773818 PMCID: PMC5958111 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26125-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum Standard Membrane Feeding Assay (PfSMFA) is the current gold standard mosquito based confirmatory transmission blocking (TrB) assay for human malaria. However, owing to its complexity only selected gametocytocidal molecules are progressed into SMFA. Predictive tools for evaluation of TrB behavior of compounds in SMFA would be extremely beneficial, but lack of substantially large data sets from many mosquito feeds preempts the ability to perform correlations between outcomes from in vitro assays and SMFA. Here, a total of 44 different anti-malarial compounds were screened for inhibitory effect on male gamete formation in exflagellation inhibition assay (EIA) and the same drug-treated parasites were fed to mosquitoes in SMFA. Regression analysis was performed between outcomes of the two assays and regression models were applied to a randomly selected validation set of four compounds indicating no overfitting and good predictive power. In addition, the pIC50 for 11 different compounds obtained in the EIA was also correlated with pIC50’s in SMFA. Resulting regression models provided pIC50 predictions in SMFA with reasonably good accuracy thereby demonstrating the use of a simple in vitro assay to predict TrB of molecules in a complex mosquito based assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Colmenarejo
- Diseases of the Developing World (DDW), GlaxoSmithKline, Severo Ochoa 2, Tres Cantos, 28760, Madrid, Spain.,Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Unit, IMDEA Food Institute, CEI UAM+CSIC, Ctra Cantoblanco 8, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sonia Lozano
- Diseases of the Developing World (DDW), GlaxoSmithKline, Severo Ochoa 2, Tres Cantos, 28760, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carolina González-Cortés
- Diseases of the Developing World (DDW), GlaxoSmithKline, Severo Ochoa 2, Tres Cantos, 28760, Madrid, Spain.,Complejo Asistencial Universitario de León. Altos de Nava s/n, 24071, León, Spain
| | - David Calvo
- Diseases of the Developing World (DDW), GlaxoSmithKline, Severo Ochoa 2, Tres Cantos, 28760, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juliana Sanchez-Garcia
- In vivo Science & Delivery (IVSD), GlaxoSmithKline, Severo Ochoa 2, Tres Cantos, 28760, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús-Luís Presa Matilla
- Diseases of the Developing World (DDW), GlaxoSmithKline, Severo Ochoa 2, Tres Cantos, 28760, Madrid, Spain
| | - Didier Leroy
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, Route de Pré-Bois 20, 1215, Geneva 15, Switzerland
| | - Janneth Rodrigues
- Diseases of the Developing World (DDW), GlaxoSmithKline, Severo Ochoa 2, Tres Cantos, 28760, Madrid, Spain.
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Wadi I, Pillai CR, Anvikar AR, Sinha A, Nath M, Valecha N. Methylene blue induced morphological deformations in Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes: implications for transmission-blocking. Malar J 2018; 17:11. [PMID: 29310655 PMCID: PMC5759873 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-017-2153-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Malaria remains a global health problem despite availability of effective tools. For malaria elimination, drugs targeting sexual stages of Plasmodium falciparum need to be incorporated in treatment regimen along with schizonticidal drugs to interrupt transmission. Primaquine is recommended as a transmission blocking drug for its effect on mature gametocytes but is not extensively utilized because of associated safety concerns among glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficient patients. In present work, methylene blue, which is proposed as an alternative to primaquine is investigated for its gametocytocidal activity amongst Indian field isolates. An effort has been made to establish Indian field isolates of P. falciparum as in vitro model for gametocytocidal drugs screening. Methods Plasmodium falciparum isolates were adapted to in vitro culture and induced to gametocyte production by hypoxanthine and culture was enriched for gametocyte stages using N-acetyl-glucosamine. Gametocytes were incubated with methylene blue for 48 h and stage specific gametocytocidal activity was evaluated by microscopic examination. Results Plasmodium falciparum field isolates RKL-9 and JDP-8 were able to reproducibly produce gametocytes in high yield and were used to screen gametocytocidal drugs. Methylene blue was found to target gametocytes in a concentration dependent manner by either completely eliminating gametocytes or rendering them morphologically deformed with mean IC50 (early stages) as 424.1 nM and mean IC50 (late stages) as 106.4 nM. These morphologically altered gametocytes appeared highly degenerated having shrinkage, distortions and membrane deformations. Conclusions Field isolates that produce gametocytes in high yield in vitro can be identified and used to screen gametocytocidal drugs. These isolates should be used for validation of gametocytocidal hits obtained previously by using lab adapted reference strains. Methylene blue was found to target gametocytes produced from Indian field isolates and is proposed to be used as a gametocytocidal adjunct with artemisinin-based combination therapy. Further exploration of methylene blue in clinical studies amongst Indian population, including G6PD deficient patients, is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishan Wadi
- Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Malaria Research, Sector 8, Dwarka, New Delhi, 110077, India. .,Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India.
| | - C Radhakrishna Pillai
- Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Malaria Research, Sector 8, Dwarka, New Delhi, 110077, India
| | - Anupkumar R Anvikar
- Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Malaria Research, Sector 8, Dwarka, New Delhi, 110077, India
| | - Abhinav Sinha
- Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Malaria Research, Sector 8, Dwarka, New Delhi, 110077, India
| | - Mahendra Nath
- Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Neena Valecha
- Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Malaria Research, Sector 8, Dwarka, New Delhi, 110077, India
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Leba LJ, Popovici J, Estevez Y, Pelleau S, Legrand E, Musset L, Duplais C. Antiplasmodial activities of dyes against Plasmodium falciparum asexual and sexual stages: Contrasted uptakes of triarylmethanes Brilliant green, Green S (E142), and Patent Blue V (E131) by erythrocytes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE 2017; 7:314-320. [PMID: 28886443 PMCID: PMC5587875 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2017.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The search for safe antimalarial compounds acting against asexual symptom-responsible stages and sexual transmission-responsible forms of Plasmodium species is one of the major challenges in malaria elimination programs. So far, among current drugs approved for human use, only primaquine has transmission-blocking activity. The discovery of small molecules targeting different Plasmodium falciparum life stages remains a priority in antimalarial drug research. In this context, several independent studies have recently reported antiplasmodial and transmission-blocking activities of commonly used stains, dyes and fluorescent probes against P. falciparum including chloroquine-resistant isolates. Herein we have studied the antimalarial activities of dyes with different scaffold and we report that the triarylmethane dye (TRAM) Brilliant green inhibits the growth of asexual stages (IC50 ≤ 2 μM) and has exflagellation-blocking activity (IC50 ≤ 800 nM) against P. falciparum reference strains (3D7, 7G8) and chloroquine-resistant clinical isolate (Q206). In a second step we have investigated the antiplasmodial activities of two polysulfonated triarylmethane food dyes. Green S (E142) is weakly active against P. falciparum asexual stage (IC50 ≃ 17 μM) whereas Patent Blue V (E131) is inactive in both antimalarial assays. By applying liquid chromatography techniques for the culture supernatant analysis after cell washings and lysis, we report the detection of Brilliant green in erythrocytes, the selective uptake of Green S (E142) by infected erythrocytes, whereas Patent Blue V (E131) could not be detected within non-infected and 3D7-infected erythrocytes. Overall, our results suggest that two polysulfonated food dyes might display different affinity with transporters or channels on infected RBC membrane. Dyes are tested against P. falciparum 3D7, 7G8 lines, CQ-resistant field isolate Q206. Brilliant green is active against asexual and sexual stages of Plasmodium falciparum. Food dye Green S (E142) is weakly active against Plasmodium falciparum asexual forms. Food dye Green S (E142) is found in the cellular content of infected erythrocytes. Polysulfonated triarylmethane possibly interact with plasmodial surface anion channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis-Jérôme Leba
- Laboratoire de parasitologie, CNR du paludisme, Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, Cayenne, French Guiana, France; UMR QualiSud, Université de Guyane, 97300 Cayenne, France
| | - Jean Popovici
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institut Pasteur in Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Yannick Estevez
- CNRS, UMR8172 EcoFoG, AgroParisTech, Cirad, INRA, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, 97300 Cayenne, French Guiana, France
| | - Stéphane Pelleau
- Laboratoire de parasitologie, CNR du paludisme, Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, Cayenne, French Guiana, France
| | - Eric Legrand
- Laboratoire de parasitologie, CNR du paludisme, Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, Cayenne, French Guiana, France; Research Unit of Genetics and Genomics of Insect Vectors Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Lise Musset
- Laboratoire de parasitologie, CNR du paludisme, Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, Cayenne, French Guiana, France
| | - Christophe Duplais
- CNRS, UMR8172 EcoFoG, AgroParisTech, Cirad, INRA, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, 97300 Cayenne, French Guiana, France.
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Routine in vitro culture of P. falciparum gametocytes to evaluate novel transmission-blocking interventions. Nat Protoc 2016; 11:1668-80. [DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2016.096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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