Application of AID to the calcium-regulated protein phosphatase, calcineurin, revealed functions in host and vector stages of parasite development.
In addition, our study demonstrates the feasibility of using genetically modified P. falciparum to study host-parasite interactions in the vector stages of development.
Markers of apoptosis have been described in both the vertebrate and vector stages of the malaria parasite [14] [17] although, as discussed by Arambage and colleagues [18], conflicting results have emerged from different laboratories, particularly regarding apoptosis in erythrocytic stages.
However, this stockpiling of heme may be related to a lack of heme availability in the upcoming insect vector stages of parasite development.
Despite the wealth of transcriptome and proteome data on the asexual Plasmodium life cycle in the vertebrate host blood, mechanisms and molecules involved in vector stages of the life cycle remain poorly understood.
Philip and Waters report the application of a rapid and specific conditional protein degradation tool to study parasite Calcineurin function in both host and vector stages of the parasite life cycle.
Whilst the concepts we present are applicable to all host and vector stages of the life-cycle, we focus on parasite traits expressed during the erythrocytic phase of infections because the necessary tools and techniques to experimentally test our predictions have recently become available.
Gene expression of both subunits is observed at specific life cycle points in both host and vector stages of the parasite, strongly suggesting a multistage functional profile for this phosphatase and a role in parasite transitions through the life cycle (Otto et al., 2014).
However, the simplified biology behind such models can incorporate the fundamental mechanisms of temperature-dependent mortality of adult mosquitoes and development characteristics of larvae, which could result in a reasonable model for the rainfall-dependent survival of immature vector stages and a means of capturing the effects of extreme rainfall on existing breeding sites.
We explored whether any evidence suggested that this form of vector control had any potential for an effect on malaria by examining the effect of larvivorous fish stocking on the density of immature vector stages and the percentage of breeding sites positive for immature vector stages compared with controls in studies ranging from three weeks up to five years in duration.
