Generation of a line that induces gametocyte production in P. knowlesi

Abstract

Malaria is one of the most important infectious diseases in the world, causing about 200 million clinical cases and nearly 600 thousand deaths every year. The causative agent of malaria is a protozoan of the genus Plasmodium, where five species of this parasites cause this disease. P. knowlesi, traditionally considered an infection of monkeys cause severe malaria is an excellent model for experimental studies and is amenable to genetic manipulation, with reported transfection efficiencies similar to those achieved with the rodent malaria model Plasmodium berghei and far surpassing those attained in P. falciparum, as also phylogenetically closely related to Plasmodium vivax. Being necessary to deepen the studies with emphasis in molecular mechanisms controlling the asexual/sexual developmental decision in malaria parasites and unveils new targets in the long-standing aim of interrupting malaria transmission by preventing the formation and/or maturation of the parasite's sexual stages. This project has as main objective to generate a line that can control the production of gametocytes being used for several molecular studies and tests of new drugs. (AU)