A malaria gametocytocidal assay using oxidoreduction indicator, alamarBlue

Takeshi Q. Tanaka, Kim C. Williamson

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82 Scopus citations

Abstract

Efforts to move from malaria control to eradication will require new approaches to block malaria transmission, such as the development of anti-malarial drugs with gametocytocidal activity. Here fluorescent oxidoreduction indicator alamarBlue is used to develop a screen for gametocyte viability. The fluorescent signal increases linearly with gametocyte number (R2 = 0.99) and determination of the IC50 of epoxomicin demonstrated the assay was reproducible and sensitive (IC50 2.16 ± 0.57 nM, Z′-factor 0.81 ± 0.01). Six anti-malarials were also tested and at 10 μM only primaquine and dihydroartemisinin (DHA) had gametocytocidal activity. This new assay provides an important tool to efficiently screen compounds for gametocytocidal activity.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)160-163
Number of pages4
JournalMolecular and Biochemical Parasitology
Volume177
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • AlamarBlue
  • Drug screening
  • Gametocyte
  • Plasmodium falciparum

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