Name: plasmodium falciparum gametocyte culture and mosquito infection through artificial membrane feeding
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Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Plasmodium falciparum Gametocyte Culture and Mosquito Infection Through Artificial Membrane Feeding at JoVE.com

Authors thank Bloomberg Philanthropies for financial support to Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI). This work would not have been possible without the expertise provided by JHMRI insect and parasitology core facilities.

Blood collections described below have been approved by the Institutional Review Board of Johns Hopkins University. P. falciparum is cultured in fresh RBCs under sterile conditions in a biosafety level 2 (BSL2) facility and caution is used to handle biological materials. After each step involving blood or blood products, every plasticware or glassware is rinsed with 10% bleach within the hood prior to proper disposal.
1. Reagents and preparation
<ol>
	<li>Parasite isolate P. fal...

<ol>
	<li>World Health Organization. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=World+Malaria+Report.">World Malaria Report.</a> World Health Organization. , (2018).</li><li>Sinden, R. E., Smalley, M. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Gametocytogenesis+of+Plasmodium+falciparum+in+vitro:+The+cell-cycle.">Gametocytogenesis of Plasmodium falciparum in vitro: The cell-cycle.</a> Parasitology. 79 (2), 277-296 (1979).</li><li>Sinden, R. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Sexual+Development+of+Malarial+Parasites.">Sexual Development of Malarial Parasites.</a> Advances in Parasitology. 22, 153-216 (1983).</li><li>Joice, R., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Plasmodium+falciparum+transmission+stages+accumulate+in+the+human+bone+marrow.">Plasmodium falciparum transmission stages accumulate in the human bone marrow.</a> Science Translational Medicine. 6 (244), 5 (2014).</li><li>Abdulsalam, A. H., Sabeeh, N., Bain, B. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Immature+Plasmodium+falciparum+gametocytes+in+bone+marrow.">Immature Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes in bone marrow.</a> American Journal of Hematology. 85 (12), 943 (2010).</li><li>Ghosh, A. K., Jacobs-Lorena, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Plasmodium+sporozoite+invasion+of+the+mosquito+salivary+gland.">Plasmodium sporozoite invasion of the mosquito salivary gland.</a> Current Opinion in Microbiology. 12 (4), 394-400 (2009).</li><li>Bennink, S., Kiesow, M. J., Pradel, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+development+of+malaria+parasites+in+the+mosquito+midgut.">The development of malaria parasites in the mosquito midgut.</a> Cellular Microbiology. 18 (7), 905-918 (2016).</li><li>Trager, W., Jenson, J. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cultivation+of+malarial+parasites.">Cultivation of malarial parasites.</a> Nature. 273 (5664), 621-622 (1978).</li><li>Duffy, S., Loganathan, S., Holleran, J. P., Avery, V. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Large-scale+production+of+Plasmodium+falciparum+gametocytes+for+malaria+drug+discovery.">Large-scale production of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes for malaria drug discovery.</a> Nature Protocols. 11 (5), 976-992 (2016).</li><li>Delves, M. J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Routine+in+vitro+culture+of+P.+Falciparum+gametocytes+to+evaluate+novel+transmission-blocking+interventions.">Routine in vitro culture of P. Falciparum gametocytes to evaluate novel transmission-blocking interventions.</a> Nature Protocols. 11 (9), 1668-1680 (2016).</li><li>Habtewold, T., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Streamlined+SMFA+and+mosquito+dark-feeding+regime+significantly+improve+malaria+transmission-blocking+assay+robustness+and+sensitivity.">Streamlined SMFA and mosquito dark-feeding regime significantly improve malaria transmission-blocking assay robustness and sensitivity.</a> Malaria Journal. 18 (1), 24 (2019).</li><li>Demanga, C. G., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+development+of+sexual+stage+malaria+gametocytes+in+a+Wave+Bioreactor.">The development of sexual stage malaria gametocytes in a Wave Bioreactor.</a> Parasites and Vectors. 10 (1), 216 (2017).</li><li>Brockelman, C. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Conditions+favoring+gametocytogenesis+in+the+continuous+culture+of+Plasmodium+falciparum.">Conditions favoring gametocytogenesis in the continuous culture of Plasmodium falciparum.</a> Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology. 29, 454-458 (1982).</li><li>Meibalan, E., Marti, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Biology+of+malaria+transmission.">Biology of malaria transmission.</a> Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine. 7, (2017).</li><li>Essuman, E., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+novel+gametocyte+biomarker+for+superior+molecular+detection+of+the+plasmodium+falciparum+infectious+reservoirs.">A novel gametocyte biomarker for superior molecular detection of the plasmodium falciparum infectious reservoirs.</a> Journal of Infectious Diseases. 216 (10), 1264-1272 (2017).</li><li>Sim&#245;es, M. L., Mlambo, G., Tripathi, A., Dong, Y., Dimopoulos, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Immune+regulation+of+plasmodium+is+anopheles+species+specific+and+infection+intensity+dependent.">Immune regulation of plasmodium is anopheles species specific and infection intensity dependent.</a> mBio. 8 (5), 01631 (2017).</li><li>Oakley, M. S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Transcriptome+analysis+based+detection+of+Plasmodium+falciparum+development+in+Anopheles+stephensi+mosquitoes.">Transcriptome analysis based detection of Plasmodium falciparum development in Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes.</a> Scientific Reports. 8, 11568 (2018).</li><li>Saraiva, R. G., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Chromobacterium+spp.+mediate+their+anti-Plasmodium+activity+through+secretion+of+the+histone+deacetylase+inhibitor+romidepsin.">Chromobacterium spp. mediate their anti-Plasmodium activity through secretion of the histone deacetylase inhibitor romidepsin.</a> Scientific Reports. 8, 6176 (2018).</li><li>Tao, D., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Sex-partitioning+of+the+Plasmodium+falciparum+stage+V+gametocyte+proteome+provides+insight+into+falciparum-specific+cell+biology.">Sex-partitioning of the Plasmodium falciparum stage V gametocyte proteome provides insight into falciparum-specific cell biology.</a> Molecular and Cellular Proteomics. 13 (10), 2705-2724 (2014).</li><li>Grabias, B., Zheng, H., Mlambo, G., Tripathi, A. K., Kumar, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+sensitive+enhanced+chemiluminescent-ELISA+for+the+detection+of+Plasmodium+falciparum+circumsporozoite+antigen+in+midguts+of+Anopheles+stephensi+mosquitoes.">A sensitive enhanced chemiluminescent-ELISA for the detection of Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite antigen in midguts of Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes.</a> Journal of Microbiological Methods. 108, 19-24 (2015).</li><li>Ferrer, P., Vega-Rodriguez, J., Tripathi, A. K., Jacobs-Lorena, M., Sullivan, D. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Antimalarial+iron+chelator+FBS0701+blocks+transmission+by+Plasmodium+falciparum+gametocyte+activation+inhibition.">Antimalarial iron chelator FBS0701 blocks transmission by Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte activation inhibition.</a> Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 59 (3), 1418-1426 (2015).</li><li>Sanders, N. G., Sullivan, D. J., Mlambo, G., Dimopoulos, G., Tripathi, A. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Gametocytocidal+screen+identifies+novel+chemical+classes+with+Plasmodium+falciparum+transmission+blocking+activity.">Gametocytocidal screen identifies novel chemical classes with Plasmodium falciparum transmission blocking activity.</a> PLoS One. 9 (8), 105817 (2014).</li><li>Lindner, S. E., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Transcriptomics+and+proteomics+reveal+two+waves+of+translational+repression+during+the+maturation+of+malaria+parasite+sporozoites.">Transcriptomics and proteomics reveal two waves of translational repression during the maturation of malaria parasite sporozoites.</a> Nature Communications. 10, 4964 (2019).</li><li>McLean, K. J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Generation+of+Transmission-Competent+Human+Malaria+Parasites+with+Chromosomally-Integrated+Fluorescent+Reporters.">Generation of Transmission-Competent Human Malaria Parasites with Chromosomally-Integrated Fluorescent Reporters.</a> Scientific Reports. 9, 13131 (2019).</li><li>Espinosa, D. A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Proteolytic+Cleavage+of+the+Plasmodium+falciparum+Circumsporozoite+Protein+Is+a+Target+of+Protective+Antibodies.">Proteolytic Cleavage of the Plasmodium falciparum Circumsporozoite Protein Is a Target of Protective Antibodies.</a> Journal of Infectious Diseases. 212 (7), 1111-1119 (2015).</li><li>Swearingen, K. E., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Interrogating+the+Plasmodium+Sporozoite+Surface:+Identification+of+Surface-Exposed+Proteins+and+Demonstration+of+Glycosylation+on+CSP+and+TRAP+by+Mass+Spectrometry-Based+Proteomics.">Interrogating the Plasmodium Sporozoite Surface: Identification of Surface-Exposed Proteins and Demonstration of Glycosylation on CSP and TRAP by Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomics.</a> PLoS Pathogens. 12 (4), 1005606 (2016).</li><li>Ifediba, T., Vanderberg, J. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Complete+in+vitro+maturation+of+Plasmodium+falciparum+gametocytes.">Complete in vitro maturation of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes.</a> Nature. 294 (5839), 364-366 (1981).</li><li>Miura, K., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=An+inter-laboratory+comparison+of+standard+membrane-feeding+assays+for+evaluation+of+malaria+transmission-blocking+vaccines.">An inter-laboratory comparison of standard membrane-feeding assays for evaluation of malaria transmission-blocking vaccines.</a> Malaria Journal. 15, 463 (2016).</li><li>Miura, K., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Qualification+of+Standard+Membrane-Feeding+Assay+with+Plasmodium+falciparum+Malaria+and+Potential+Improvements+for+Future+Assays.">Qualification of Standard Membrane-Feeding Assay with Plasmodium falciparum Malaria and Potential Improvements for Future Assays.</a> PLoS One. 8 (3), 57909 (2013).</li></ol>

Methods described here have been successfully used at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute for more than 10 years15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22. Gametocytes produced using this protocol have been used for high throughput gametocytocidal assays<sup class="x...

Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites and is transmitted to their vertebrate hosts via infectious bite of female Anopheles mosquitoes. According to the 2019 World Health Organization (WHO) report, there were an estimated 405,000 deaths, from a total of 228 million cases of malaria1. Most of the malaria related deaths were concentrated in the African region, especially among children below five years of age. While the overall incidence rate of malaria has declined globally from 2010, in recent years decline has plateaued and additional control strategies are urgently needed to eliminate the disease.
Cyclic asexual blood stages of malaria parasites cause disease pathogenesis and a small subset of these differentiate into female and male gametocytes. Plasmodium falciparum&#160;gametocytes are unique in nature as they take 7-10 days to develop through five morphologically distinct stages. Immature gametocytes from stage I to IV are sequestered in bone marrow parenchyma and largely remain absent from peripheral circulation2,3,4,5. Erythrocytes infected with mature stage V gametocytes are released in the bloodstream and freely circulate to be taken up by mosquitoes. Once inside the mosquito midgut, gametocytes are activated, through a change in temperature and exposure to the midgut environment, transform into female and male gametes and begin development of the mosquito stages, which culminates with the infective stages of sporozoites in the mosquito salivary glands6,7.
Since Trager and Jenson8 described a standardized method to culture P. falciparum, studies on the asexual blood stages have greatly advanced. However, the lack of a reliable culture system for sexual stages has made it difficult to study P. falciparum gametocytes, transmission biology and mosquito stages. In recent years, several methods have been published which have aided laboratories in establishing gametocyte cultures9,10,11,12. This manuscript describes standardized and reliable protocol to culture P. falciparum gametocytes that can represent a valuable resource for the malaria research community. This method enables the robust production of mature and infectious gametocytes which along with a standardized mosquito feeding protocol, results in highly reliable mosquito infectivity. These methods were established to maintain uninterrupted supply of gametocytes, and mosquito stage parasites. In this manuscript, we describe a thorough gametocyte culture protocol (Figure 1), preparation of glass membrane feeders and infection of mosquitoes using these membrane feeders (Figure 2), dissection of midgut (Figure 3) and salivary gland of mosquitoes (Figure 4), and quantification of infection in mosquito after midgut and salivary gland dissection.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>10% Sugar solution</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>10ml serological pipet</td>
			<td>Falcon</td>
			<td>357551</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>15 ml conical tube</td>
			<td>Falcon</td>
			<td>352096</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1ml serological pipet</td>
			<td>Falcon</td>
			<td>357521</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>25 ml serological pipet</td>
			<td>Falcon</td>
			<td>357535</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>37&#176;C Incubator</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>50 ml conical tube</td>
			<td>Falcon</td>
			<td>352070</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>5ml serological pipet</td>
			<td>Falcon</td>
			<td>357543</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>6 well tissue culture plates</td>
			<td>Falcon</td>
			<td>353046</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>70% Ethanol</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>9&#34; glass pipet</td>
			<td>Fisherbrand</td>
			<td>13-678-6B</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anopheles Mosquitoes</td>
			<td>JHMRI, Insectary core</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>We use A. stephensi or A. gambiae (keele)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>cell counter</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Circulating water bath</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>fine tip forceps</td>
			<td>Fisherbrand</td>
			<td>12-000-122</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Geimsa stain</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>GS1L</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glass desiccator</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glass membrane feeder</td>
			<td>Chemglass Life Sciences</td>
			<td>CG183570</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glass slides</td>
			<td>Fisherbrand</td>
			<td>12-552-3</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HBSS</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>H6648</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Human Blood O+</td>
			<td>JHU</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Wash RBCs three times with RPMI and refrigerate at 50% heamatocrit</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Human Serum O+</td>
			<td>Interstate blood bank</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Pool at-least 6 units of serum from different donors and freeze down aliquots at -20&#176;C.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hypoxanthine</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>H9337</td>
			<td>Make 500x stock in 1M NaOH</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Mercurochrome</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>M7011</td>
			<td>Prepare 1% stock solution in PBS that can be diluted to 0.1% when needed</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Micro Pipette</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microscope</td>
			<td>Olympus</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Any microscope with 10x, 40x and 100x objective will work.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Mosquito cups</td>
			<td>Neptune cups</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>N-acetylglucosamine</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>A3286</td>
			<td>Optional and needed only when pure gametocytes are required.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Netting</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Make sure it can contain mosquitoes and allow blood feeding</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Parafilm</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PBS</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Petri dish</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>249964</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pipet tips</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pipetman</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Plasmodium falciparum NF54</td>
			<td>BEI Resources</td>
			<td>MRA-1000</td>
			<td>Freeze down large numbers of early passage culture to make sure you have a constant supply</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>RPMI 1640</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>CV-041-CV</td>
			<td>Media contains glutamine and HEPES</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Slide warmer</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium bicarbonate</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>S6297</td>
			<td>Optional for media, add only when using malaria gas mix during culture incubation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>water bath</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Xanthurenic Acid</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>D120804</td>
			<td>For flagellation media</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

plasmodium falciparum gametocyte culture and mosquito infection through artificial membrane feeding

Malaria remains one of the most important public health problems, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Malaria is a mosquito borne disease transmitted through an infectious bite from the female Anopheles mosquito. Malaria control will eventually rely on a multitude of approaches, which includes ways to block transmission to, through and from mosquitoes. To study mosquito stages of malaria parasites in the laboratory, we have optimized a protocol to culture highly infectious Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes, a parasite stage required for transmission from the human host to the mosquito vector. P. falciparum gametocytes mature through five morphologically distinct steps, which takes approximately 1-2 weeks. Gametocyte culture described in this protocol is completed in 15 days and are infectious to mosquitoes from days 15-18. These protocols were developed to maintain a continuous cycle of infection competent gametocytes and to maintain uninterrupted supply of mosquito stages of the parasite. Here, we describe the methodology of gametocyte culture and how to infect mosquitoes with these parasites using glass membrane feeders.

Here we present results from a series of membrane feeds using P. falciparum NF54 gametocyte cultures generated using the protocol above (see (Figure 5). Gametocyte culture was initiated with approximately 0.5% mixed stage asexual culture on Day 0, which grew to a peak parasitemia of approximately 15% by Day 4 and Day 5. As shown in Figure 5A at this high parasitemia, the parasites are stressed and the asexual stage culture crashes. However, this stress ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Plasmodium falciparum Gametocyte Culture and Mosquito Infection Through Artificial Membrane Feeding at JoVE.com

Plasmodium falciparum Gametocyte Culture and Mosquito Infection Through Artificial Membrane Feeding

Detailed investigations on mosquito stages of malaria parasites are critical to design effective transmission blocking strategies. This protocol demonstrates how to effectively culture infectious gametocytes and then feed these gametocytes to mosquitoes to generate mosquito stages of P. falciparum.

Plasmodium falciparum Gametocyte Culture and Mosquito Infection Through Artificial Membrane Feeding

Malaria remains one of the most important public health problems, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Malaria is a mosquito borne disease ...

Gametocytes are responsible for malaria parasite transmission. Generating infectious gametocytes in the lab is key to studying transmission biology in mosquito stages and to generating sporozoites for later-stage results. These methods are simple for any laboratory to adopt, and visual demonstration will aid in the sharing of these procedures with the world-wide malaria community.Demonstrating the procedure with me will be my colleagues, Godfree Mlambo, our senior research associate, and Sachie Kanatani, our postdoctoral fellow, both from the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute. To set up a gametocyte culture, spin down five milliliters of feeder culture in a centrifuge, and re-suspend the pellet in 30 milliliters of complete medium. Mix 1.2 milliliters of packed red blood cells with the tube contents, and add five milliliters of the resulting suspension to each well of a six-well culture plate.Then place the plate in a candle jar at 37 degrees Celsius. Every day for the next 15 to 18 days, carefully aspirate 70 to 80%of the culture supernatant from each well and use a serological pipette to add five milliliters of fresh medium without blood cells down the wall of each well to feed the cultures without disturbing the settled red blood cell layer. To quantify mature gametocytemia, on day 15 to 18, make a blood smear, and count the number of matured gametocytes in a minimum of 1000 red blood cells to allow calculation of the percentage of mature, gametocyte-infected red blood cells.To quantify the exflagellation events, centrifuge 200 microliters of the gametocyte culture in a pre-warmed tube, and re-suspend the pellet in 20 microliters of exflagellation medium. Transfer the gametocyte suspension to a glass slide with a cover slip, and incubate the slide for 15 minutes at room temperature. At the end of the incubation, use a 10X objective to count the exflagellation centers in phase contrast mode in at least four fields to allow calculation of the exflagellation events.To infect mosquitoes using the standard membrane feeding assay, remove the sugar water from a three to seven-day-old female anopheles mosquito cage for 6.5 to 18 hours, and use an aspirator to transfer up to 100 mosquitoes into individual paper cups covered with a double-layer of fine mesh fabric. Collect the washed blood by centrifugation, and reconstitute the blood with an equal volume of freshly-thawed human serum. Pre-warm reconstituted blood in a 37-degrees Celsius water bath for 30 minutes, transfer the gametocyte culture into pre-warmed, 15-milliliter plastic tubes for centrifugation, and make a thin blood smear of the pellet to determine the mature gametocytemia as demonstrated.To make the final blood feed, use reconstituted whole blood to dilute the gametocyte pellet to the appropriate experimental concentration, and place the blood feed at 37 degrees Celsius until the mosquitoes and glass feeders are ready. Stretch a square piece of paraffin film to an even thickness and place the film over the top opening of the feeder to create a sealed compartment for the blood feed. Use a connecting tube on each side to attach the membrane feeder to a circulatory water bath to allow the passage of warm water through the jacket around the feeder.When all of the feeders for the experiment have been connected, turn on the bath and check all of the equipment for leaks. Place the feeders in the center of the netting on the mosquito cups, membrane side down, and secure the feeders to the netting in an upright position. When all of the feeders have been optimally positioned, add 200 to 1000 microliters of blood feed to each membrane feeder, and check that the feed has been properly overlaid onto the paraffin film.After about 30 minutes of feeding with intermittent monitoring, knock down the mosquitoes in a cold room and visibly inspect the insects for bulge and redness in the abdomen. Place the fed mosquitoes back into the mosquito cups, and place cotton pads soaked in 10%sucrose on the mosquito cups to provide them with a sugar meal and then double-cage the cups to secure infected mosquitoes, then transfer the mosquitoes to a high-containment incubator specifically for mosquitoes infected with the human malaria parasite, P.falciparum. To harvest the midguts from the infected mosquitoes, pipette 100 microliters of PBS into the center of a glass slide mounted onto a dissecting microscope stage, and use forceps to carefully transfer one mosquito into the PBS.Use fine-tipped forceps to grasp the segment of the abdomen from the posterior end of the mosquito, and use a second pair of forceps to hold the junction between the thorax and the abdomen, then gently pull the abdomen until the midgut is fully exposed. When all of the mosquitoes have been dissected in the same manner, use a pipette to carefully remove the PBS, and stain in the midguts with 0.2%Mercurochrome for two to five minutes. At the end of the incubation, remove the excess dye, and line the midguts on the slide for easy visualization under a light microscope, then place a cover slip over the midguts and count the number of oocysts in each midgut under the 10X objective.For salivary gland harvest, place the mosquitoes in a glass plate under a dissecting microscope in just enough medium to keep the mosquito tissue hydrated and use two syringes equipped with 25-gauge needles to grasp mosquito thorax and head. Gently pull the head upward to pull the salivary glands from the thorax, and use a needle to disconnect the salivary glands from the head and thorax. When 15 to 20 salivary glands have been collected, use a Pasteur pipette to transfer the glands to a low-retention tube, and pellet the glands by a short pull spin in a tabletop centrifuge.Re-suspend the salivary gland in 100 microliters of fresh dissection medium, and use a small homogenizer to grind the salivary glands for one minute to release the sporozoites, then count the number of sporozoites in 10 microliters of dissection medium in two quadrants of a hemocytometer. Here, a time course of P.falciparum NF54 gametocyte culture growth, as demonstrated, can be observed. The gametocyte culture was initiated with an approximately 0.5%mixed-stage asexual culture on day zero that grew to a peak parasitemia of approximately 15%by days four and five.At this high parasitemia, the parasites are stressed, resulting in crashing of the asexual stage culture. This stress, however, results in the induction of gametocytogenesis, with early gametocytes appearing around day six to seven, and asexual parasitemia slowly declining while remaining at a low level. The majority of the gametocytes matured to stage five by day 15, at which point they become infectious to mosquitoes and are ready to be fed.These representative images of Giemsa's stain blood smears show gametocyte culture progression at different time points after gametocyte culture initiation. Here, results from series-of-membrane feeds using P.falciparum NF54 gametocytes generated using this protocol can be observed. Between 8 to 10 days after blood feeding, the number of oocysts varies both within and between experiments, and requires 25 to 50 mosquitoes per cohort to determine the effects of various experimental conditions.As shown in the table, overall, the average number of sporozoites in this analysis was consistent. However, there was one experiment in which zero sporozoites were obtained, illustrating the occasional failure of the assay. The success of this protocol depends on how well the gametocytes infect the mosquitoes.Keeping the gametocytes as still as possible when changing the medium during the two-week culture helps. Using these methods, laboratories can perform studies on gametocyte biology, transmission blocking, vector and parasite interactions, and the sporozoite stages.

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Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

Harvesting Sperm and Artificial Insemination of Mice

Rodents of the genus Peromyscus (deer mice) are the most prevalent native North American mammals. Peromyscus species are used in a wide range of research including toxicology, epidemiology, ecology, behavioral, and genetic studies. Here they provide a useful model for demonstrations of artificial insemination. 

Methods similar to those displayed here have previously been used in several deer mouse studies, yet no detailed protocol has been published. Here we demonstrate the basic method of artificial insemination. This method entails extracting the testes from the rodent, then isolating the sperm from the epididymis and vas deferens. The mature sperm, now in a milk mixture, are placed in the female&#x2019;s reproductive tract at the time of ovulation. Fertilization is counted as day 0 for timing of embryo development. Embryos can then be retrieved at the desired time-point and manipulated.

Artificial insemination can be used in a variety of rodent species where exact embryo timing is crucial or hard to obtain. This technique is vital for species or strains (including most Peromyscus) which may not mate immediately and/or where mating is hard to assess. In addition, artificial insemination provides exact timing for embryo development either in mapping developmental progress and/or transgenic work. Reduced numbers of animals can be used since fertilization is guaranteed. This method has been vital to furthering the Peromyscus system, and will hopefully benefit others as well.

This protocol demonstrates methods for extracting sperm from the testes of males and then inseminating female mice. This procedure is useful when precise time is needed in developmental studies as well as transgenic work.

Rodents of the genus Peromyscus (deer mice) are the most prevalent native North American mammals.  Peromyscus species are used in a wide range of research ...

Protocol for Plasmodium falciparum Infections in Mosquitoes and Infection Phenotype Determination

Once a gene is identified as potentially refractory for malaria, it must be evaluated for its role in preventing Plasmodium infections within the mosquito.    This protocol illustrates how the extent of plasmodium infections of mosquitoes can be assayed.  The techniques for preparing the gametocyte culture, membrane feeding mosquitoes human blood, and assaying viral titers in the mosquito midgut are demonstrated.

Once a gene is identified as potentially refractory for malaria, it must be evaluated for its role in preventing Plasmodium infections within the mosquito. This protocol illustrates how the extent of plasmodium infections of mosquitoes can be assayed. The techniques for preparing the gametocyte culture, membrane feeding mosquitoes human blood, and assaying viral titers in the mosquito midgut are demonstrated.

Once a gene is identified as potentially refractory for malaria, it must be evaluated for its role in preventing Plasmodium infections within the ...

Crystallizing Membrane Proteins for Structure Determination using Lipidic Mesophases

A detailed protocol for crystallizing membrane proteins by using lipidic mesophases is described. This method has variously been referred to as the lipidic cubic phase or in meso method. The method has been shown to be quite versatile in that it has been used to solve X-ray crystallographic structures of prokaryotic and eukaryotic proteins, proteins that are monomeric, homo- and hetero-multimeric, chromophore-containing and chromophore-free, and alpha-helical and beta-barrel proteins. Recent successes using in meso crystallization are the human engineered beta2-adrenergic and adenosine A2a G protein-coupled receptors. Protocols are presented for reconstituting the membrane protein into the monoolein-based mesophase, and for setting up crystallizations in the manual mode. Additional steps in the overall process, such as crystal harvesting, are to be addressed in future video articles. The time required to prepare the protein-loaded mesophase and to set up a crystallization plate manually is about one hour.

Herein is described the procedure implemented in the Caffrey Membrane Structural and Functional Biology Group to set up manually crystallization trials of membrane proteins in lipidic mesophases.

A detailed protocol for crystallizing membrane proteins by using lipidic mesophases is described. This method has variously been referred to as the ...

High-fat Feeding Paradigm for Larval Zebrafish: Feeding, Live Imaging, and Quantification of Food Intake

Zebrafish are emerging as a model of dietary lipid processing and metabolic disease. This protocol describes how to feed larval zebrafish a lipid-rich meal, which consists of an emulsion of chicken egg yolk liposomes created by sonicating egg yolk in embryo media. Detailed instructions are provided to screen larvae for egg yolk consumption so that larvae that fail to feed will not confound experimental results. The chicken egg yolk liposomes can be spiked with fluorescent lipid analogs, including fatty acids and cholesterol, enabling both systemic and subcellular visualization of dietary lipid processing. Several methods are described to mount larvae that are conducive to short- and long-term live imaging with both upright and inverted objectives at high and low magnification. Additionally presented is an assay to quantify larval food intake by extracting the lipids of larvae fed fluorescent lipid analogs, spotting the lipids on a thin layer chromatography plate, and quantifying the fluorescence. Finally, critical aspects of the procedures, important controls, options for modifying the protocols to address specific experimental questions, and potential limitations are discussed. These techniques can be applied not only to focused, hypothesis driven inquiries, but also to a variety of screens and live imaging techniques to study dietary lipid metabolism and the control of food intake.

Zebrafish are emerging as a valuable model of dietary lipid processing and metabolic disease. Described are protocols of lipid-rich larval feeds, live imaging of dietary fluorescent lipid analogs, and quantification of food intake. These techniques can be applied to a variety of screening, imaging, and hypothesis driven inquiry techniques.

Zebrafish are emerging as a model of dietary lipid processing and metabolic disease. This protocol describes how to feed larval zebrafish a lipid-rich ...

Ground State Depletion Super-resolution Imaging in Mammalian Cells

Advances in fluorescent microscopy and cell biology are intimately correlated, with the enhanced ability to visualize cellular events often leading to dramatic leaps in our understanding of how cells function. The development and availability of super-resolution microscopy has considerably extended the limits of optical resolution from ~250-20 nm. Biologists are no longer limited to describing molecular interactions in terms of colocalization within a diffraction limited area, rather it is now possible to visualize the dynamic interactions of individual molecules. Here, we outline a protocol for the visualization and quantification of cellular proteins by ground-state depletion microscopy&#160;for fixed cell imaging. We provide examples from two different membrane proteins, an element of the endoplasmic reticulum translocon, sec61&#946;, and a plasma membrane-localized voltage-gated L-type Ca2+ channel (CaV1.2). Discussed are the specific microscope parameters, fixation methods, photo-switching buffer formulation, and pitfalls and challenges of image processing.

This article outlines a protocol for the detection of one or more plasma and/or intracellular membrane proteins using Ground State Depletion (GSD) super-resolution microscopy in mammalian cells. Here, we discuss the benefits and considerations of using such approaches for the visualization and quantification of cellular proteins.

Advances in fluorescent microscopy and cell biology are intimately correlated, with the enhanced ability to visualize cellular events often leading to ...

Isolation and Culture of Human Mature Adipocytes Using Membrane Mature Adipocyte Aggregate Cultures (MAAC)

White adipose tissue (WAT) dysregulation plays a central role in development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (T2D). To develop new treatments for T2D, more physiologically relevant in vitro adipocyte models are required. This study describes a new technique to isolate and culture mature human adipocytes. This method is entitled MAAC (membrane mature adipocyte aggregate culture), and compared to other adipocyte in vitro models, MAAC possesses an adipogenic gene signature that is the closest to freshly isolated mature adipocytes. Using MAAC, adipocytes can be cultured from lean and obese patients, different adipose depots, co-cultured with different cell types, and importantly, can be kept in culture for 2 weeks. Functional experiments can also be performed on MAAC including glucose uptake, lipogenesis, and lipolysis. Moreover, MAAC responds robustly to diverse pharmacological agonism and can be used to study adipocyte phenotypic changes, including the transdifferentiation of white adipocytes into brown-like fat cells.

Isolation and Culture of Human Mature Adipocytes Using Membrane Mature Adipocyte Aggregate Cultures MAAC

Membrane mature adipocyte aggregate culture (MAAC) is a new method to culture mature human adipocytes. Here we detail how to isolate adipocytes from human adipose and how to set up MAAC.

White adipose tissue (WAT) dysregulation plays a central role in development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (T2D). To develop new treatments ...

Tick Artificial Membrane Feeding for Ixodes scapularis

Ticks and their associated diseases are an important topic of study due to their public health and veterinary burden. However, the feeding requirements of ticks during both study and rearing can limit experimental questions or the ability of labs to research ticks and their associated pathogens. An artificial membrane feeding system can reduce these problems and open up new avenues of research that may not have been possible with traditional animal feeding systems. This study describes an artificial membrane feeding system that has been refined for feeding and engorgement success for all Ixodes scapularis life stages. Moreover, the artificial membrane feeding system described in this study can be modified for use with other tick species through simple refinement of the desired membrane thickness. The benefits of an artificial membrane feeding system are counterbalanced by the labor intensiveness of the system, the additional environmental factors that may impact feeding success, and the need to refine the technique for each new species and life stage of ticks.

Tick Artificial Membrane Feeding for Ixodes scapularis

Presented here is a method to blood feed ticks in vitro via an artificial membrane system to allow for partial or full engorgement of a variety of tick life stages.

Ticks and their associated diseases are an important topic of study due to their public health and veterinary burden. However, the feeding requirements of ...

Assessment of Phytochemical Effects on &lt;em&gt;Helicoverpa armigera&lt;/em&gt; Through Feeding Assay

Developing a Feeding Assay System for Evaluating the Insecticidal Effect of Phytochemicals on Helicoverpa armigera

Helicoverpa armigera, a lepidopteran insect, is a polyphagous pest with a worldwide distribution. This herbivorous insect is a threat to plants and agricultural productivity. In response, plants produce several phytochemicals that negatively impact the insect's growth and survival. This protocol demonstrates an obligate feeding assay method to evaluate the effect of a phytochemical (quercetin) on insect growth, development, and survival. Under controlled conditions, the neonates were maintained until the second instar on a pre-defined artificial diet. These second-instar larvae were allowed to feed on a control and quercetin-containing artificial diet for 10 days. The insects' body weight, developmental stage, frass weight, and mortality were recorded on alternate days. The change in body weight, the difference in feeding pattern, and developmental phenotypes were evaluated throughout the assay time. The described obligatory feeding assay simulates a natural mode of ingestion and can be scaled up to a large number of insects. It permits one to analyze phytochemicals' effect on the growth dynamics, developmental transition, and overall fitness of H. armigera. Furthermore, this setup can also be utilized to evaluate alterations in nutritional parameters and digestive physiology processes. This article provides a detailed methodology for feeding assay systems, which may have applications in toxicological studies, insecticidal molecule screening, and understanding chemical effects in plant-insect interactions.

Author Spotlight: Development and Challenges of Feeding Assays for Insect Pest Management 

This protocol describes the obligate feeding assay to evaluate the potentially toxic effect of a phytochemical on the lepidopteran insect larvae. This is a highly scalable insect bioassay, easy to optimize the sublethal and lethal dose, deterrent activity, and physiological effect. This could be used for screening eco-friendly insecticides.

Helicoverpa armigera, a lepidopteran insect, is a polyphagous pest with a worldwide distribution. This herbivorous insect is a threat to plants and ...

Ex Situ Culture of &lt;em&gt;Pocillopora acuta&lt;/em&gt; and Effective Feeding Techniques

Effective Techniques for the Feeding and Ex Situ Culture of a Brooding Scleractinian Coral, Pocillopora acuta

Climate change is affecting the survival, growth, and recruitment of corals globally, with large-scale shifts in abundance and community composition expected in reef ecosystems over the next several decades. Recognition of this reef degradation has prompted a range of novel research- and restoration-based active interventions. Ex situ aquaculture can play a supporting role through the establishment of robust coral culture protocols (e.g., to improve health and reproduction in long-term experiments) and through the provision of a consistent broodstock supply (e.g., for use in restoration projects). Here, simple techniques for the feeding and ex situ culture of brooding scleractinian corals are outlined using the common and well-studied coral, Pocillopora acuta, as an example. To demonstrate this approach, coral colonies were exposed to different temperatures (24 &#176;C vs. 28 &#176;C) and feeding treatments (fed vs. unfed) and the reproductive output and timing, as well as the feasibility of feeding Artemia nauplii to corals at both temperatures, was compared. Reproductive output showed high variation across colonies, with differing trends observed between the temperature treatments; at 24 &#176;C, fed colonies produced more larvae than unfed colonies, but the opposite was found in colonies cultured at 28 &#176;C. All colonies reproduced before the full moon, and differences in reproductive timing were only found between unfed colonies in the 28 &#176;C treatment and fed colonies in the 24 &#176;C treatment (mean lunar day of reproduction &#177; standard deviation: 6.5 &#177; 2.5 and 11.1 &#177; 2.6, respectively). The coral colonies fed efficiently on Artemia nauplii at both treatment temperatures. These proposed feeding and culture techniques focus on the reduction of coral stress and the promotion of reproductive longevity in a cost-effective and customizable manner, with versatile applicability in both flow-through and recirculating aquaculture systems.

Author Spotlight: Advancing Coral Research by Exploring Climate Change Resistance, Ex Situ Aquaculture, and Reproduction Strategies 

Climate change is impacting coral reef ecosystems globally. Corals sourced from ex situ aquaculture systems can help support restoration and research efforts. Herein, feeding and coral culture techniques that can be used to promote the long-term maintenance of brooding scleractinian corals ex situ are outlined.

Climate change is affecting the survival, growth, and recruitment of corals globally, with large-scale shifts in abundance and community composition ...

Cell Culture Techniques and Practices to Avoid Contamination by Fungi and Bacteria in the Research Cell Culture Laboratory

Cell culture is a delicate skill necessary for growing human, animal, and insect cells, or other tissues, in a controlled environment. The goal of the protocol is to emphasize the correct techniques used in a research laboratory to prevent contamination from fungi and bacteria. Special emphasis is placed on avoiding mycoplasma contamination, a major concern in the cell culture room due to its small size and resistance to most antibiotics used for cell culture. These same techniques ensure continuous growth and maintain healthy cells. For new and experienced cell culture users alike, it&#8217;s important to consistently adhere to these best practices to mitigate the risk of contamination. Once a year, laboratories should review cell culture best practices and follow-up with a discussion or additional training if needed. Taking early action to prevent contamination in the first place will save time and money, as compared to cleaning up after contamination occurs. Universal best practices keep cell cultures healthy, thereby reducing the need to constantly thaw new cells, purchase expensive cell culture media, and reducing the amount of incubator decontamination and downtime.&#160;

This protocol presents essential cell culture techniques and practices to be used in the research cell culture laboratory to avoid contamination by fungi and bacteria. Within the category of bacteria, special emphasis will be placed on preventing mycoplasma contamination.&#160;&#160;

Cell culture is a delicate skill necessary for growing human, animal, and insect cells, or other tissues, in a controlled environment. The goal of the ...