O. Billker et al., THE ROLES OF TEMPERATURE, PH AND MOSQUITO FACTORS AS TRIGGERS OF MALEAND FEMALE GAMETOGENESIS OF PLASMODIUM-BERGHEI IN-VITRO, Parasitology, 115, 1997, pp. 1-7
Developmentally arrested malarial gametocytes undergo gamete formation
in the mosquito midgut immediately after ingestion of the infected bl
oodmeal. In the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei male gameto
genesis (exflagellation) can be induced in vitro by a temperature decr
ease (from 39 degrees C in the vertebrate host to 20 degrees C) and a
concomitant pH increase (from 7.3 in mouse blood to 8.0). We report th
e presence of additional Gametocyte Activating Factor(s) (GAF) present
in Anopheles stephensi tissue extracts, which induce both male and fe
male gametogenesis at the otherwise nonpermissive pH of 7.3 in vitro b
ut are unable to overcome the low temperature requirement. All constit
uent cellular events of microgametogenesis studied here are induced by
the same triggers in vitro. A temperature decrease is also required f
or exflagellation in the mosquito midgut. The possible role of GAF as
a second obligatory natural trigger of gametogenesis is discussed.