A comparative study of the genetic diversity of the 42kDa fragment of the merozoite surface protein 1 in Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax.

ABSTRACT: We investigated the genetic diversity of the 42kDa fragment of the merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP-1) antigen in Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax, as well as in non-human primate malarial parasites. This fragment undergoes a proteolytic cleavage generating two fragments of 19kDa (MSP-1(19)) and 33kDa (MSP-1(33)) that are critical in erythrocyte invasion. We found that overall the MSP-1(33) fragment exhibits greater genetic diversity than the MSP-1(19) regardless of the species. We have found evidence for positive natural selection only in the human malaria parasites by comparing the rate of non-synonymous versus synonymous substitutions. In addition, we found clear differences between the two major human malaria parasites. In the case of P. falciparum, positive natural selection is acti

SUBMITTER: Pacheco MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1853303 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature