Fig. 1

Experimental setup. Plasmodium falciparum infected mosquitoes were dissected at day 14, 17 or 20 post blood meal. To determine the number of SPZ, they were counted by light microscopy. Viability was determined by counting after Propidium Iodide staining using a confocal microscope. Motility of SPZ was analysed by traditional gliding assay and automated sporozoite motility orienting and organizing tool (SMOOT) analyses of confocal videos. Metabolism of SPZ was measured by real-time cell metabolic analyses. Infectivity was measured by in vitro infection of HC-04.j7 cells and analysed by immunofluorescence stains and real-time PCR of P. falciparum targets. Immune responses were assessed by SPZ stimulation of monocyte-derived macrophages (MoMϕs) for assessment of uptake (1 h) by confocal microscopy, phenotype (24 h) by flowcytometry and function (24 h) by ELISA. To investigate the activation of CD8⁺ T-cells, SPZ-stimulated MoMϕs and monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDCs) were co-cultured with circumsporozoite protein (CSP) specific CD8⁺ T-cells and analysed by flowcytometry