Mutant/mutation
The mutant expresses a c-terminal GFP-tagged  version of of CITH (CAR-I/Trailer Hitch Homolog).

Protein (function)
The Plasmodium protein CITH shows homology with proteins that co-locolaize with germ cell and P granules in other organisms such as worm CAR-I and fly Trailer Hitch but also Xenopus Rap55. The Plasmodium protein contains both the conserved LSM14 domain and the extended FDF motif, known to compete with the enhancer of mRNA decapping EDC3 for binding to DDX6 helicases.
The phenotype analysis of mutants lacking expression of CITH (RMgm-359, RMgm-360)  indicate that CITH plays an important role in translational repression of mRNAs in female gametocytes.

Phenotype
The phenotype analyses demonstrate normal fertilisation and zygote/ookinete development indicating that the function of CITH is not affected by the GFP-tag (see RMgm-359, RMgm-360 for the phenotype of mutants lacking expression of CITHI).
A punctate GFP-fluorescence pattern that appeared to be restricted to the cytoplasm of female gametocytes was observed. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis of the localization of translationally repressed transcripts of genes encoding ookinete surface proteins P25 and P28, showed co-localisation of the repressed transcripts and CITH::GFP. Immunoprecipitations of the CITH::GFP fusion protein from gametocyte lysates have been made with monoclonal anti-GFP antibodies. The eluates have been analyzed for DOZI protein and transcript content, showing the presence of (known) translational repressed transcripts.

Additional information
This mutant has been used for analysis of the protein content by LC-MS/MS mass-spectrometry of imuunoprecipitations of the CITH::GFP fusion protein from gametocyte lysates. This analysis identified a number of proteins that show homology to proteins found in metazoan mRNP granules involved in translational repression of mRNAs indication the presence of messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) bodies in gametocytes with homology to metazoan mRNP granules/P-bodies. See also mutant RMgm-131 for characterization of another protein, DOZI (protein development of zygote inhibited; ATP-dependent RNA helicase, putative)  that is present in the mRNPs of gametocytes.

Other mutants
RMgm-359: A mutant lacks expression of CITH whch expresses GFP under control of the constitutive eef1a promoter
RMgm-360: A mutant lacking expression of CITH which expresses GFP under control of a male and RFP under control of a female gametocyte specific promoter.