Polymorphism in a Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte-binding ligand changes its receptor specificity.

ABSTRACT: Recognition of human erythrocytes by Plasmodium species depends in part on Region II of the Duffy binding-like family of parasite ligands, which includes BA erythrocyte binding ligand (BAEBL) of P. falciparum. In previous studies of BAEBL from two clones, Dd2/Nm from Vietnam and E12 from Papua New Guinea (PNG), it was found that BAEBL bound different erythrocyte receptors. Because of variation in binding specificity, we studied the sequence and erythrocyte binding specificity of Region II of BAEBL in P. falciparum clones from different parts of the world. We observed five nucleotide substitutions leading to five amino acid changes and five polymorphisms in Region II of BAEBL in parasites from both PNG and other parts of the world. We expressed four of the polymorphisms on COS cells and det

SUBMITTER: Mayer DC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2194259 | biostudies-literature | 2002 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature