Evaluation of immunity against malaria using luciferase-expressing Plasmodium berghei parasites

• Published in: Malaria Journal
• Main Authors: Ploemen Ivo, Behet Marije, Nganou-Makamdop Krystelle, van Gemert Geert-Jan, Bijker Else, Hermsen Cornelus, Sauerwein Robert
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2011
• Subjects: Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-10-350; https://doaj.org/article/e7036a5f03bc490ca2f068eb9829b1ae

Abstract Background Measurement of liver stage development is of key interest in malaria biology and vaccine studies. Parasite development in liver cells can be visualized in real-time, both in culture and in live mice, using a transgenic Plasmodium berghei parasite, Pb GFP-Luc con , expressing the bioluminescent reporter luciferase. This study explores the benefit of using these parasites for the evaluation of immunity against malaria, compared to qRT-PCR techniques in vivo and in vitro . Methods Mice were immunized with either radiation attenuated sporozoites (RAS) or wildtype sporozoites under chloroquine prophylaxis (CPS) and challenged with Pb GFP-Luc con. The in vitro transgenic sporozoites neutralization assay (TSNA) was adapted by replacing Pb CS(Pf) parasites for Pb GFP-Luc con parasites. Results Application of Pb GFP-Luc con transgenic parasites provides live quantitative visual information about the relation between parasite liver load and protection. Moreover, fast and reproducible results are obtained by using these parasites in the transgenic sporozoites neutralization assay, measuring functional antibody-mediated immune responses. Conclusions Pb GFP-Luc con parasites are a straightforward and valuable tool for comprehension of the biological and immunological principles underlying protection against malaria.