Knockout of SEMP1 by gene disruption has no detectable phenotype. A: ClaI- and XmaI-digested gDNA isolated from a SEMP1-KO clone (KO) pH-KO plasmid (DP) were analysed by Southern blot and probed with radioactively labelled hdhfr. In case of an integration of the KO plasmid into the parasite genome the expected fragment size is 3927 bp. B: lysates of 3D7 wild type and SEMP1-KO (KO) parasites were generated by saponin lysis and analysed by Western blot with α-SEMP1 and α-GAPDH (loading control) antibodies. C: Immunofluorescence assays of fixed RBCs infected with SEMP1-KO parasites, probed with α-MAHRP1, α-SBP1, α-REX1 and α-PfEMP1 antibodies. The parasite nuclei were stained with DAPI. D: Bar graph depicting differential binding to CD36 of RBCs infected with wild-type 3D7 and SEMP1-KO parasites. CD36 (or BSA as control) was immobilized on Petri dishes and bound infected RBCs (iRBCs) were calculated as iRBCs per mm2 for 1% parasitemia. Dietz O, Rusch S, Brand F, Mundwiler-Pachlatko E, Gaida A, Voss T, Beck HP. Characterization of the small exported Plasmodium falciparum membrane protein SEMP1. PLoS One. 2014 9(7):e103272.