AUTHOR=Ramos Glenda Quaresma , Baia-da-Silva Djane Clarys , Lacerda Marcus Vinícius Guimarães , Monteiro Wuelton Marcelo , Lopes Stefanie Costa Pinto 

TITLE=Viability and Infectivity of Plasmodium vivax Gametocytes in Short-Term Culture

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2021.676276

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2021.676276

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=The control and elimination of malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax both represent a great challenge due to the biological aspects of the species. Gametocytes are the forms that are responsible for the transmission of the parasite to the vector and are therefore significant if transmission blocking (TB) is to be achieved. The search for new TB strategies is essential in a control and elimination scenario. The challenges in this search in regard to P. vivax mainly stem from the lack of a long-term culture and the limitation of studies of gametocytes. This study evaluated the viability and infectivity of P. vivax gametocytes in short-term culture. The samples enriched in gametocytes using Percoll (i), using magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS®) (ii), and using non-enriched samples (iii) were evaluated. After the procedures, gametocytes were cultured in IMDM medium for up to 48h. Cultured P. vivax gametocytes were viable and infectious for up to 48h, however differences in viability and infectivity were observed in the samples after 12h of culture in relation to 0h. Percoll-enriched samples were shown to be viable in culture for longer intervals than those purified using MACS®. Gametocyte viability after enrichment procedures and short-term culture may provide new avenues in the development of methods for evaluating P. vivax TB.