Mutant/mutation
In the mutant the endogenous P. berghei csp gene has been replaced by the P. falciparum csp gene.
This line expresses the full-length P. falciparum CS protein (3D7). In this transgenic line, a single amino acid in the CS protein region containing the sequence DYANDIEKKI was modified to incorporate the cytotoxic CD8+ T cell epitope DYENDIEKKI. This epitope is not found in the 3D7 strain, but is present in other P. falciparum  isolates (such as 7G8 and T4)

Protein (function)
The CS protein is the major protein on the surface of sporozoites and is critical for development of sporozoites within the oocysts and is involved in motility and invasion of both the salivary gland of the mosquito and the liver cells. The protein is also found on the oocyst plasma membrane and on the inner surface of the oocyst capsule. Specific motifs in CS are involved in sporozoite binding to mosquito salivary glands and in sporozoite attachment to heparan sulfate proteoglycans in the liver of the mammalian host. During substrate-dependent locomotion of sporozoites, CS is secreted at the sporozoite anterior pole, translocated along the sporozoite axis and released on the substrate at the sporozoite posterior pole. Following sporozoite invasion of hepatocytes, the CS is released in the host cell cytoplasm.

Phenotype
Normal development throughout the complete life cycle showing complementation of P. berghei CSP by P. falciparum CSP

Additional information

Other mutants