Mutant/mutation
The mutant expresses a C-terminal (enhanced) GFP-tagged version of AP2-G 

Protein (function)
PbAP2-G belongs to the 27 Plasmodium ApiAP2 family of transcription factors

Phenotype
Fluorescent signals, indicating AP2-G expression, were detected only in a very small number of mononuclear parasites by fluorescence microscopy (one parasite per dozens of fields by microscopic scrutiny). We assumed that they were early gametocytes and that their number appeared very small, as AP2-G is expressed only in a limited period of gametocyte development.

In synchronized infections: In mature schizonts prior to inoculation, AP2-G expression was not observed. At  12  h  post-inoculation (hpi), weak signals were first observed in a small number of parasites. Signals of AP2-G and the pro-portion of  AP2-G-expressing parasites increased gradually thereafter (the proportion at 14 hpi was approximately 2%) and then reached the peak at 16 to 18 hpi, when morphological divergence between early gametocytes and asexual parasites began. The proportion of  AP2-G- expressing parasites was approximately 4% at this peak. Then, fluorescent signals decreased gradually, and at 20 to 22 hpi, when sex-specific morphologies were manifested on them, signals decreased to the level where AP2-G was only slightly observed in the nucleus

Additional information
It was supposed that expression level of eGFP was too low to detect with eGFP and therfore another transgenic parasite was prepared by exchanging GFP with mNeonGreen, a  monomeric yellow and green fluorescent protein that has been reported to emit signals approximately three times brighter than GFP.  However, expression was still observed only in the nuclei of small mononuclear parasites, and in a very small number of cells.

From the Abstract:
'Fluorescence microscopy showed that AP2-G expression was first observed in the parasite 12 h after erythrocyte invasion and peaked at 18 h when sexual features were first manifested in  early gametocytes. Expression of  AP2-G decreased with manifestation of  sex-specific features. Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) was performed at peak AP2-G expression and identified over 1000 binding sites in the genome. The main binding motif of the TF predicted from the binding sites was GTACNY. Predicted targets contained a number of genes related to protein biogenesis, suggesting that AP2-G plays a role in establishing a cellular basis required for sexual differentiation. AP2-G binding sites also existed upstream of gametocyte-specific TFs, namely AP2-G2, AP2-FG, and AP2-G itself. Furthermore, the target contained two AP2 TF-related genes. Disruption of  these genes resulted in  the arrest of  ookinete development. These results suggest another role of  AP2-G: activating a  transcriptional cascade to  promote conversion into early gametocytes.'

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