e; PPKL, protein phosphatase containing an N-terminal -propeller formed by kelch-like motifs; PPM1, PPM2, PPM5, metallo-dependent protein phosphatases; PTPLA, protein tyrosine phosphatase-like A; SHLP1, Shewanella-like protein phosphatase; SRPK, SR protein kinase. 2014 The Author. Cellular Microbiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Cellular Microbiology, 17, 451466 454 R. E. Sinden 1994; Vervenne et al., 1994) where they are presumably complexed with the translational regulators DOZI and CITH; but what is often overlooked is the evidence that the structure of the ribosome population itself changes as the parasite moves from vertebrate to insect host the population transitions from A to S-form ribosomes in which different alleles encoding the SsuRNAs 30 and 31 are expressed. Why these changes occur and whether they have any relevance to the significant role of translational regulation in gametogenesis has yet to be tested. Structural studies have shown that the mitochondrion enlarges significantly throughout gametocyte maturation. The seminal early electron microscopy studies of Aikawa et al. demonstrated beyond question that the mitochondrion of the gametocytes was morphologically distinguished from those of the asexual bloodstages by the presence of prominent tubular cristae; subsequent studies revealed that in the ookinete and oocyst stages the cristae were even more prominently developed. Jim Jensen was the first to suggest that the multiple profiles of mitochondria seen 
in the gametocytes were in fact derived from a single network-like organelle. By contrast the apicoplast remains comparatively small and closely associated with the nucleus. Recent application of elegant whole-cell confocal studies combined with the use of organelle-specific fluorochrome-tagged markers has emphasized how the mitochondrion and apicoplast subsequently proliferate in the oocyst. Recent metabolomic studies suggest that oxidative and lipid metabolism may differ significantly between the asexual and sexual bloodstage parasites. Recognizing the female gametocyte provides the majority of the biomass of the 481-53-8 web zygote/ ookinete, this expansion of energy provision is understandable, but the male gametocyte forms eight microgametes devoid of both plastids, suggesting in the male cell that it performs a vital function during gametocytogenesis or during the dramatic events of gamete formation in the mosquito It has been shown that the apicoplast provides isoprenoids essential for gametocytogenesis, and upregulation of glyoxalase provides defence against oxidative stress that has recently been shown to be a PubMed ID:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19822663 component of the mosquitoes’ responses to malarial infection. Up-regulation of genes encoding type II fatty acid, and 15 of 16 TCA enzymes in the mature gametocyte are also consistent with the cytological observations. In marked contrast it is the enzymes of the glycolytic pathway that are among the most abundant proteins in the free swimming microgamete. The male gamete lacks both plastids; as a consequence their inheritance is maternal, and the male gametes rely entirely on hexose import and glycolysis for energy to drive their vigorous swimming. Reflecting on this body of data, it is interesting to note that some of the antimalarial drugs, e.g. atovaquone with known mitochondrial targets such as the cytochrome B1 complex and adenosine triphosphate binding cassette transporter, are exquisitely active against transmission of parasites from vertebrate to mosq
