Mutant/mutation
The mutant lacks expression of SOC5 and expresses RFP and GFP in female and male gametocytes, respectively. The mutant has not been cloned and analysed in detail. The uncloned population showed normal gametocyte production and exflagellation (male gamete formation).

Protein (function)
The protein is identified in a screen for proteins that are phosphorylated by CDPK4.CDPK4 has an essential role in male (micro)gamete formation (exflagellation).
Among these proteins, it was decided to name those without predicted function SOC, for substrate of CDPK4. Ten proteins were indeed conserved Plasmodium proteins of unknown function and one  protein, SOC2, was annotated as cyclin-related protein 2 but it was suggested be unrelated to cyclins. Also GAP40 was identified.
To investigate the roles of SOC1 to 4 and GAP40 during gametogenesis, it was attempted to individually  knock-out their encoding proteins. As controls, soc5 and soc6 were included that were not differentially phosphorylated in a CDPK4-KO mutant. For gap40 no transgenic parasites could be obtained. Viable KO parasites could be detected in mixed asexual stages for six genes and non-clonal populations were first assessed for microgametocyte DNA replication and exflagellation. No defects were observed in the SOC4-KO line as well as in the SOC5-KO and SOC6-KO control lines suggesting that these proteins do not represent crucial CDPK4 effectors in the regulation of male gametogenesis. Defects in DNA replication or exflagellation were observed for SOC1-KO, SOC2-KO, and SOC3-KO lines that were cloned for in depth characterisation.

Phenotype
The mutant lacks expression of SOC5 and expresses RFP and GFP in female and male gametocytes, respectively. The mutant has not been cloned and analysed in detail. The uncloned population showed normal gametocyte production and exflagellation (male gamete formation).

Additional information

Other mutants