9.B.451. The Parasitophorous Vacuole Membrane Protein (Pfs16) Family It is involved in male gametogenesis and is required for exflagellation of male gametocytes. It may play a role in parasite transmission in the mosquito and binds to the mosquito vector midgut (Niu et al. 2021). Plasmodium parasitophorous vacuole membrane protein Pfs16 promotes malaria transmission by silencing mosquito immunity (Ramelow et al. 2023). Antibodies against Pfs16 partially reduce parasite transmission during the mosquito vector stage, resulting in a significant reduction in the number of oocysts.
References:
Niu, G., Y. Cui, X. Wang, Y. Keleta, and J. Li. (2021). Studies of the Parasite-Midgut Interaction Reveal Proteins Important for Malaria Transmission to Mosquitoes. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 11: 654216.
Ramelow, J., Y. Keleta, G. Niu, X. Wang, and J. Li. (2023). Plasmodium parasitophorous vacuole membrane protein Pfs16 promotes malaria transmission by silencing mosquito immunity. J. Biol. Chem. 104824. [Epub: Ahead of Print]
Examples:
TC#	Name	Organismal Type	Example
9.B.451.1.1	*Pfs16 protein of 157 aas and 2 TMSs, one N-terminal and one near the C-terminus of the protein. It promotes malaria transmission by silencing mosquito immunity (Ramelow et al.* 2023).**		Pfs16 of Plasmodium falciparum

9.B.451.1.2	Uncharacterized protein of 141 aas and 2 TMSs, N- and C-terminal.		UP of Plasmodium fragile

9.B.451.1.3	Sexual stage antigen s16 of 130 aas and 2 TMSs.		s16 of Plasmodium gonderi