Mutant/mutation
The mutant lacks expression of AP2-SP2
The gene has been disrupted using CRISPR/cas9 genome editing (using constructs as described for mutant RMgm-1095).

Protein (function)
Most sequence-specific transcription factor families found in other eukaryotes seem to be absent from Plasmodium. Instead, an expansion of a protein family containing one or more apetala2 (AP2) DNA-binding domains was observed across the phylum apicomplexa. In total, 27 members of this family have been found in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum (although a possible 28th member of the family may be present. In total, 26 of these have syntenic orthologs in rodent malaria species, each with its unique stage-specific expression profile.
The paper presents a systematic knockout (KO) screen targeting the ApiAP2 family in the rodent malaria parasite P.yoelii

Phenotype
Normal numbers of oocysts. However, no sporozoite formation inside oocysts (oocyst became vacuolated). No salivary gland sporozoites.

Additional information
The gene has been disrupted using CRISPR/cas9 genome editing (using constructs as described for mutant RMgm-1095).

From the paper: 'To investigate the functions of the PyApiAP2 gene family in parasite development, we attempted to disrupt 24 of the 26 PyApiAP2 genes in the parasite genome, excluding the orthologs of Pbap2-sp and Pbap2-l, whose functions were described when the project was initiated. We were able to knock out 12 of the 24 genes, including three PyApiAP2 genes (PY17X_1317000, PY17X_1417400, and PY17X_0523100) whose orthologs in P. berghei were either resistant to disruption or not attempted.
We carefully evaluated the morphologies of asexual/sexual stages in ICR mice and sexual stages in A. stephensi mosquitoes for the 12 gene KO mutants. We also successfully tagged six PyApiAP2 proteins (PyAP2-G, PyAP2-G3, PyAP2-O2, PyAP2-O3, PyAP2-O4, and PyAP2-O5) with 6XHA tags and PyAP2-O with mCherry to investigate protein expression and localization in the parasites. There were 12 PyApiAP2 genes (PY17X_0104500, PY17X_1231600, PY17X_1209100, PY17X_0941600, PY17X_0911000, PY17X_1361700, PY17X_1456200, PY17X_0111100, PY17X_0113700, PY17X_0838600, PY17X_0934300, and PY17X_1405400) that could not be disrupted even after 4 to 12 independent transfections and selections. The orthologs of these 12 genes in P. berghei also resisted disruption attempts and are likely to be essential for parasite viability or affect the growth of these rodent parasites in the mouse'.

Other mutants
see ApiAP2