Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40603939›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

A paternal lactate dehydrogenase critically enhances male gametogenesis and malaria transmission.

Annie Z Tremp, Sadia Saeed, Johannes T Dessens

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Annie Z TrempDepartment of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
Sadia SaeedDepartment of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
Johannes T DessensDepartment of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK. johannes.dessens@lshtm.ac.uk.

Funding

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council BB/V006428/1Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust 22136/A/20/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Malaria blood stage parasite development relies on glycolysis to generate ATP, which requires pyruvate to lactate conversion by an essential lactate dehydrogenase enzyme (LDH1). Conversely, parasites developing in the mosquito employ mitochondrial chemiosmosis for ATP production. The source of ATP during transition from vertebrate to insect is less clear; gametes form in the mosquito midgut lumen within minutes of gametocyte ingestion, and while female gametes possess a mitochondrion, this organelle is absent from male gametes (microgametes). Here, we investigate a second LDH enzyme (LDH2) found exclusively in male gametocytes and microgametes. Knockout of Plasmodium berghei LDH2 expression reduces the number and size of exflagellation centres and radically diminishes oocyst development in Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes. Our data indicate that LDH2 supplements LDH1 activity to facilitate the cytokinesis step of male gametogenesis, while LDH1 alone is sufficient for motility of free-swimming microgametes. Our results point to a key role for glycolytic ATP production in microgamete formation and function and identify LDH activity as a potential malaria transmission-blocking drug target.

Indexed as

GametogenesisL-Lactate DehydrogenaseMalariaPlasmodium bergheiAdenosine TriphosphateAnimalsAnophelesFemaleGlycolysisMaleOocystsAdenosine TriphosphateL-Lactate DehydrogenaseGametogenesisGlycolysisLactate dehydrogenasePlasmodiumTransmission-blocking drugs

Identifiers

PMID40603939
PMCPMC12223287

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.