Conditional deletion of PfPATPL1 exon 3 inhibits rupture of PVM and EM to prevent egress. (A) Ultrastructural changes in gametocytes following

conditional deletion of PfPATPL1 exon 3. Rap+ and Rap− gametocyte cultures were activated by incubation at 25 °C in activation medium containing XA for

20 min. TEM was used to follow ultrastructural changes in unactivated (UAc) and activated (Ac) Rap+ and Rap− gametocytes. Unactivated Rap− (UAc Rap−)

and Rap+ (UAc Rap+) gametocytes contain 4 peripheral membranous layers including the outermost host EM followed by a PVM, PPM, and the IMC. Activated

Rap− gametes (Ac Rap−) contain only PPM and IMC. A significant proportion of activated Rap+ gametes (Ac Rap+) remain surrounded by all of the

4 peripheral membranous layers, i.e., EM, PVM, PPM, and IMC after activation.

Singh P, Alaganan A, More KR, Lorthiois A, Thiberge S, Gorgette O, Guillotte Blisnick M, Guglielmini J, Aguilera SS, Touqui L, Singh S, Chitnis CE. Role of a patatin-like phospholipase in Plasmodium falciparum gametogenesis and malaria transmission. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Aug 14.