Mutant/mutation
The mutant lacks expression of CDPK1

Protein (function)
In malaria parasites, intracellular Ca²⁺ signals are translated into stage-specific cellular responses by members of a family of Ca2+-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs), which combine an N-terminal kinase domain with a C-terminal, calmodulin-like regulatory domain in the same polypeptide. By analysis of a promoter-swap mutant that expresses CDPK1 only in asexual blood stages and not in gametocytes and ookinetes it has been shown that CDPK1 plays an essential role in ookinete formation (see RMgm-773)

Phenotype
The phenotype analyses indicate that CDPk1 is not essential for asexual blood stage growth/multiplication. See also RMgm-518 for unsuccessful attempts to disrupt P. berghei cdpk1, suggesting an essential role of CDPK1 for asexual blood stages.
The course of infection in mice of the CDPK- mutant was similar to that of wild type parasites. No analyses are provided for gametocyte and ookinete production. The mutant did not produce oocysts in mosquitoes which is in agreement with the previous reported essential role of CDPK1 for formation of ookinetes (see RMgm-773)

Additional information

Other mutants
RMgm-518: unsuccessful attempts to disrupt cdpk1
RMgm-773: A promoter exchange mutant that expresses CDPK1 under control of the the asexual blood stage specific clag promoter (analysis of this mutant indicate an essential role of CDPK1 for ookinete development)
RMgm-772: A mutant expressing CDPK1-GFP from the endogenous cdpk1 promoter
RMgm-967: A mutant containing a FRTed ORF of the cdpk1 locus. Analyses of this mutant indicates the lack of an essential role of CDPK1 for liver stage development