Figure 2

Visualization of the oocyst plasma membrane in live PbPMP1-GFP parasites. Midguts of PbPMP1-GFP parasite-infected mosquitoes were isolated at day 7, 9 and 11 after the infectious blood meal and were analyzed by confocal microscopy. (a) Oocyst at day 7 without PPM invaginations. (b) and (c) Oocysts at day 9 and 11, in which the PPM has started to form invaginations. Note that the previously randomly localized nuclei start to align along the newly formed membranes and that the PPM undergoes further invaginations close to these nuclei in (c). (d) and (e) Sporozoite formation in oocysts at day 11. Note the residual bodies; regions of cytoplasm not incorporated into forming sporozoites (indicated with arrows). PbPMP1-GFP (green). DNA was stained with Hoechst 33342 (blue). Scale bars = 10 µm. For confocal z-stacks see also Supplementary Movies S1 and S2.