Linkage of chloroquine resistance in Plasmodium berghei to infection of immature erythrocytes of mice.

Studies of infective potency were done to determine why chloroquine-resistant $\text{P.}$$\text{berghei}$ is an obligate parasite of immature erythrocytes. Infective potency was estimated from the length of time required for mice to develop parasitemia of 2% (delay in parasitemia). The delay in parasitemia was an inverse linear function of the logarithm of the number of parasites inoculated. A single regression line fitted the data both for susceptible and for resistant parasites, indicating identical infective potencies which, in turn, indicates that chloroquine-resistant $\text{P.}$$\text{berghei}$ selects and preferentially infects immature erythrocytes whereas it rejects mature erythrocytes.