Figure 4

Commitment of Pfnek-4-GFP⁺-sorted parasites to sexual differentiation. Pfnek-4-GFP parasite transfectants grown for four days under conditions inducing commitment to sexual differentiation, were enriched for schizont stages, separated into GFP^- and GFP⁺ populations, and returned to in vitro culture in presence of fresh red blood cells at ~1% parasitaemia. A, Day-4 gametocytes and asexual blood stages parasitaemia (mean ± SD) of GFP^- (open bars) and GFP⁺ (closed bars) -sorted parasite cultures as determined by Giemsa-staining of thin smears. B, Giemsa-staining of thin smears of sorted GFP⁺-parasites at day 3, 5 and 7 of in vitro tissue culture showing the presence of stage II (left panel), III (middle) and IV (right panel) gametocytes, respectively. Scale bars, 5.0 μm.