Fig. 6: MMV668754/Trifloxystrobin inhibited parasite differentiation to merozoites (merogony).

a TaC12 infected macrophages were incubated at 37 °C or at 41 °C for 8–10 days to induce merogony. Immunofluorescence with an antibody against H3K18me1 highlighted the parasite nuclei in the macroschizont stage (yellow arrowheads) and decreases upon differentiation, when host cells fill up with large number of parasites as they differentiate into merozoites (purple arrowheads). Treatment with MMV688754 blocked the merogony process. This was confirmed by qPCR expression analysis of the parasite TamR1 gene, a marker of the merogony stage. n = 3 independent experiments. One-way Anova statistical test, Dunnett’s multiple comparison test. Mean values ± SD. ns = not significant, ****p < 0.0001. b Quantification of the percentage of cells at the macroschizont or merogony stage after 8–10 days in culture at 41 °C, with or without MMV688754, or DMSO treatments. n = 4 independent experiments (n > 50 cells). Mean values ± SD. One-way Anova statistical test, Dunnett’s multiple comparison test. ns = not significant, ****p < 0.001.