Tricks in Plasmodium's molecular repertoire - Escaping 3′UTR excision-based conditional silencing of the chloroquine resistance transporter gene

► We sought to conditionally silence the chloroquine resistance transporter to test its role across the Plasmodium lifecycle. ► This used the Flp/FRT system to excise the 3'UTR during mosquito passage, leading to unstable, non-functional transcripts. ► Despite successful excision, Plasmodium berghei progressed normally through the lifecycle by attaching alternative 3'UTR elements. ► This study highlights the remarkable ability of Plasmodium at the genomic level, to overcome disruption of essential genes.