Gametocytogenesis of Plasmodium falciparum in vitro: a simple technique for the routine culture of pure capacitated gametocytes en masse

A technique is described for the growth of pure gametocyte cultures of Plasmodium falciparum. Using the classification of Hawking, Wilson & Gammage (1971) these cultures contain gametocytes of stages III, IV and V alone. Routine sexual cultures, varying from 0.35 ml static cultures to 500 ml shaking cultures, are exposed to an inhibitor of DNA synthesis (mitomycin C at 10 micrograms/ml) on the 11th day of culture, and the culture is harvested on the 14th day when capacitated stage V gametocytes are present. All other stages are killed by the drug and are morphologically degenerate within 2 days of the addition of the inhibitor.