Close association of invading Plasmodium berghei and beta integrin in the Anopheles gambiae midgut. by Mahairaki, V, Lycett, G, Sidén-Kiamos, I, Sinden, R, Louis, C

“…Finally, the antibody detects a structural change in the midgut epithelial cells in the immediate vicinity of the invading ookinete, which is consistent with Plasmodium-induced apoptosis followed by wound healing. …”

Plasmodium berghei: plasmodium perforin-like protein 5 is required for mosquito midgut invasion in Anopheles stephensi. by Ecker, A, Pinto, S, Baker, K, Kafatos, F, Sinden, R

“…During its life cycle the malarial parasite Plasmodium forms three invasive stages which have to invade different and specific cells for replication to ensue. …”

Plasmodium berghei calcium-dependent protein kinase 3 is required for ookinete gliding motility and mosquito midgut invasion. by Siden-Kiamos, I, Ecker, A, Nybäck, S, Louis, C, Sinden, R, Billker, O

“…Apicomplexan parasites critically depend on a unique form of gliding motility to colonize their hosts and to invade cells. Gliding requires different stage and species-specific transmembrane adhesins, which interact with an intracellular motor complex shared across parasite stages and species. …”

Paternal effect of the nuclear formin-like protein MISFIT on Plasmodium development in the mosquito vector. by Bushell, E, Ecker, A, Schlegelmilch, T, Goulding, D, Dougan, G, Sinden, R, Christophides, G, Kafatos, F, Vlachou, D

“…Gene disruption results in mutant ookinetes with reduced genome content, microneme defects and altered transcriptional profiles of putative cell cycle regulators, which yet successfully invade the mosquito midgut. However, developmental arrest ensues during the ookinete transformation to oocysts leading to malaria transmission blockade. …”

Transcriptome analysis of Anopheles stephensi-Plasmodium berghei interactions. by Xu, X, Dong, Y, Abraham, E, Kocan, A, Srinivasan, P, Ghosh, A, Sinden, R, Ribeiro, J, Jacobs-Lorena, M, Kafatos, F, Dimopoulos, G

“…Temporal correlation between transcription profiles of both organisms identifies putative gene clusters of interacting processes, such as Plasmodium invasion of the midgut epithelium, Anopheles immune responses to Plasmodium infection, and apoptosis and expulsion of invaded midgut cells from the epithelium. Intriguing transcription patterns for highly variable Plasmodium surface antigens may indicate parasite strategies to avoid recognition by the mosquito's immune surveillance system.…”

Cryofracture electron microscopy of the ookinete pellicle of Plasmodium gallinaceum reveals the existence of novel pores in the alveolar membranes. by Raibaud, A, Lupetti, P, Paul, R, Mercati, D, Brey, P, Sinden, R, Heuser, J, Dallai, R

“…The malaria parasite invades the midgut tissue of its mosquito host as a motile form called the ookinete. …”

SOAP, a novel malaria ookinete protein involved in mosquito midgut invasion and oocyst development. by Dessens, J, Sidén-Kiamos, I, Mendoza, J, Mahairaki, V, Khater, E, Vlachou, D, Xu, X, Kafatos, F, Louis, C, Dimopoulos, G, Sinden, R

“…Targeted disruption of the SOAP gene gives rise to ookinetes that are markedly impaired in their ability to invade the mosquito midgut and form oocysts. These results identify SOAP as a key molecule for ookinete-to-oocyst differentiation in mosquitoes.…”

The dynamics of interactions between Plasmodium and the mosquito: a study of the infectivity of Plasmodium berghei and Plasmodium gallinaceum, and their transmission by Anopheles s... by Alavi, Y, Arai, M, Mendoza, J, Tufet-Bayona, M, Sinha, R, Fowler, K, Billker, O, Franke-Fayard, B, Janse, C, Waters, A, Sinden, R

“…Plasmodium berghei ookinetes survive poorly in the bloodmeal of Ae. aegypti and are unable to invade the midgut epithelium. Cultured mature ookinetes of P. berghei injected directly into the mosquito haemocoele produced salivary gland sporozoites in An. stephensi, but not in Ae. aegypti, suggesting that further species-specific incompatibilities occur downstream of the midgut epithelium in Ae. aegypti. …”

A unique protein phosphatase with kelch-like domains (PPKL) in Plasmodium modulates ookinete differentiation, motility and invasion. by Guttery, D, Poulin, B, Ferguson, D, Szöőr, B, Wickstead, B, Carroll, P, Ramakrishnan, C, Brady, D, Patzewitz, E, Straschil, U, Solyakov, L, Green, J, Sinden, R, Tobin, AB, Holder, A, Tewari, R

“…Deletion of the endogenous ppkl gene caused abnormal ookinete development and differentiation, and dissociated apical microtubules from the inner-membrane complex, generating an immotile phenotype and failure to invade the mosquito mid-gut epithelium. These observations were substantiated by changes in localisation of cytoskeletal tubulin and actin, and the micronemal protein CTRP in the knockout mutant as assessed by indirect immunofluorescence. …”