Fitness of sulfadoxine-resistant Plasmodium berghei harboring a single mutation in dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS)

• PfDHPS-A437G is known as one of sulfadoxine-resistant mutations in P. falciparum . PbDHPS-A394G berghei corresponds to PfDHPS-A437G. We generated a transgenic parasite and investigated the developments. grew mice produced oocysts with similar efficiency wild-type. The mutation may not impose fitness costs on during examined stages. Genetic changes conferring drug resistance are generally believed pathogens absence drug. However, resistant parasites against sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine has been inconclusive Plasmodium falciparum. This because conferred by complex combination dihydropteroate synthase ( dhps ) dihydrofolate reductase dhfr ), which makes it difficult separately assess extent magnitude imposed To sulfadoxine alone, we rodent malaria parasite, clone harboring an A394G (PbDHPS-A394G), corresponding causative for (PfDHPS-A437G). A four-day suppressive test confirmed that was sulfadoxine. wild-type clones showed growth rates gametocyte production. observation competitive experiments were co-infected into directly survival competition between them. In mosquitoes, there no significant differences oocyst production These results indicate alters but disadvantages blood stages formation mosquitoes. partly explain persistence mutant natural populations.