# name
New Assays to Characterise Growth-Related Phenotypes of
                Plasmodium falciparum Reveal Variation in Density-Dependent
                Growth Inhibition between Parasite Lines

# metadata.dc.description.abstract[].value
The growth phenotype of asexual blood stage malaria parasites
                can influence their virulence and also their ability to survive
                and achieve transmission to the next host, but there are few
                methods available to characterise parasite growth parameters in
                detail. We developed a new assay to measure growth rates at
                different starting parasitaemias in a 96-well format and applied
                it to characterise the growth of Plasmodium falciparum lines
                3D7-A and 3D7-B, previously shown to have different invasion
                rates and to use different invasion pathways. Using this simple
                and accurate assay we found that 3D7-B is more sensitive to high
                initial parasitaemia than 3D7-A. This result indicates that
                different parasite lines show variation in their levels of
                density-dependent growth inhibition. We also developed a new
                assay to compare the duration of the asexual blood cycle between
                different parasite lines. The assay is based on the tight
                synchronisation of cultures to a 1 h parasite age window and the
                subsequent monitoring of schizont bursting and formation of new
                rings by flow cytometry. Using this assay we observed
                differences in the duration of the asexual blood cycle between
                parasite lines 3D7 and HB3. These two new assays will be useful
                to characterise variation in growth-related parameters and to
                identify growth phenotypes associated with the targeted deletion
                of specific genes or with particular genomic, transcriptomic or
                proteomic patterns. Furthermore, the identification of
                density-dependent growth inhibition as an intrinsic parasite
                property that varies between parasite lines expands the
                repertoire of measurable growth-related phenotypic traits that
                have the potential to influence the outcome of a malarial blood
                infection.

# metadata.dc.relation.isformatof[].value
Reproducció del document publicat a:
                http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0165358

# metadata.dc.source[].value
Articles publicats en revistes (ISGlobal)

# metadata.dc.title[].value
New Assays to Characterise Growth-Related Phenotypes of
                Plasmodium falciparum Reveal Variation in Density-Dependent
                Growth Inhibition between Parasite Lines