PfAtg18 localizes to the food vacuole. Live GFP/PfAtg18-expressing parasites of the indicated stages were assessed for localization of GFP/PfAtg18 by fluorescence microscopy. The panels show GFP/PfAtg18 signal (Atg18), nucleic acid staining (Hoechst), bright field with RBC and parasite boundaries (DIC) and the overlap of all three images (Merged). The black substance in the DIC image is the food vacuole-resident pigment haemozoin, which serves as an in-built food vacuole marker. Live cell microscopy of different stages of GFP/PfAtg18-expressing P. falciparum parasites showed fluorescence as a single dot in rings, whereas trophozoites and schizonts contained fluorescence around and within the food vacuole, indicating that PfAtg18 is localized to the food vacuole.

Sudhakar R, Das D, Thanumalayan S, Gorde S, Sijwali PS. Plasmodium falciparum Atg18 localizes to the food vacuole via interaction with the multi-drug resistance protein 1 and phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate. Biochem J. 2021 12:BCJ20210001.