Exflagellation Responses of Cultured Plasmodium Falciparum (Haemosporida: Plasmodiidae) Gametocytes to Human Sera and Midguts of Anopheline Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae)

The process of exflagellation was quantified for cultured Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes exposed to human sera and midgut homogenates from six vector species of Anopheles mosquitoes. Neither serum factors related to malaria exposure nor factors in the midguts of taxonomically diverse anophelines had significant inhibitory effects on the exflagellation of P. falciparum microgametocytes. Therefore, differences in vector competence among anopheline species most likely are caused by vector-parasite interactions occurring after microgametogenesis.