Actinonin inhibits apicoplast biogenesis in P. falciparum. Representative images of the apicoplast of IPP-rescued control and actinonin treated parasites 24 hours after treatment during the schizont stage. The apicoplast is visualized using the P. falciparum reporter strain D10 ACP-GFP in which GFP is targeted to the apicoplast and the nucleus is stained with Hoescht 33342. During Plasmodium replication, the apicoplast starts as a single small spherical organelle (ring stage) which branches and divides into multiple apicoplasts (schizont stage). A punctate apicoplast that does not branch indicates a defect in apicoplast biogenesis.

Amberg-Johnson K, Hari SB, Ganesan SM, Lorenzi HA, Sauer RT, Niles JC, Yeh E. Small molecule inhibition of apicomplexan FtsH1 disrupts plastid biogenesis in human pathogens. Elife. 2017 Aug 18;6. pii: e29865.