Mutant/mutation
The mutant expresses a C-terminal GFP-tagged version of PUF2

Protein (function)
The roles of Puf (Pumilio and fem-3 mRNA binding factor) proteins are diverse yet intimately involved in the translational regulation of developmental and differentiation factors in organisms as diverse as yeast, C. elegans, Drosophila and humans. Two such proteins, Puf1 (PFE0935c) and Puf2 (PFD0825c), are known in the human malaria parasite, P. falciparum, with orthologs in all Plasmodium spp. characterized. The Plasmodium Puf proteins have the typical highly conserved organization that includes the eight tandem copies of the PUM RNA binding domain (or Pumilio Homology Domain, PHD) at the carboxyterminus of the protein and expectedly PfPuf2 was shown to bind RNA in vitro. In P. falciparum evidence has been reported for a role for Puf2 in gametocyte development although Pfpuf2 is most highly transcribed in sporozoites.
Analysis of P. berghei RMgm-515, RMgm-516, RMgm-617) and P. yoelii (RMgm-842) mutants lacking expression of Puf2 indicate that  Puf2 regulates the transition of sporozoites into liver stage forms.

Phenotype
Evidence is presented that the mutant shows a normal (wild type) development throughout the complete life cycle

Puf2::GFP protein localised to cytoplasmic foci in sporozoites indicating the presence of localized messenger ribonucleoproteins (mRNP).

Evidence is presented that Puf2::GFP binds to uis4 mRNA and represses translation of UIS4 (PBANKA_0501200; PF3D7_0417100)  in sporozoites

Additional information

Other mutants
See link PUF2