Import of tRNAs in Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites. WT sporozoites were incubated with (+) or without (−) E. coli tRNAVal and were subjected to FISH. Due to high sequence similarities between mammalian and plasmodial tRNAs, E. coli tRNAVal was chosen as a template so that a specific FISH probe could be designed [3′ end-labeled with Texas Red (TxRd)] that does not cross-hybridize with any Plasmodium endogenous tRNAs. On tRNA import, about 80% of sporozoites hybridized the fluorescent probe. (Scale bars, 2 μm.)

Bour T, Mahmoudi N, Kapps D, Thiberge S, Bargieri D, Ménard R, Frugier M. Apicomplexa-specific tRip facilitates import of exogenous tRNAs into malaria parasites. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 Apr 11. pii: 201600476. [Epub ahead of print]