Single-Cell Analysis Reveals Distinct Gene Expression and Heterogeneity in Male and Female Plasmodium falciparum Gametocytes

The only form of this parasite that is transmitted to the mosquito is the sexual form, called the gametocyte. The production of mature gametocytes can take up to 2 weeks and results in phenotypically distinct males and females, although what causes this gender-specific differentiation remains largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate the first use of microfluidic technology to capture single gametocytes and determine their temporal sex-specific gene expression in an unbiased manner. We were able to determine male or female identity of single cells based on the upregulation of gender-specific genes as early as mid-stage gametocytes. This analysis has revealed strong markers for male and female gametocyte differentiation that were previously concealed in population analyses. Similar single-cell analyses in eukaryotic pathogens using this method may uncover rare cell types and heterogeneity previously masked in population studies.