Cloning of the repertoire of individual Plasmodium falciparum var genes using transformation associated recombination (TAR).

ABSTRACT: One of the major virulence factors of the malaria causing parasite is the Plasmodium falciparum encoded erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1). It is translocated to It the membrane of infected erythrocytes and expressed from approximately 60 var genes in a mutually exclusive manner. Switching of var genes allows the parasite to alter functional and antigenic properties of infected erythrocytes, to escape the immune defense and to establish chronic infections. We have developed an efficient method for isolating VAR genes from telomeric and other genome locations by adapting transformation-associated recombination (TAR) cloning, which can then be analyzed and sequenced. For this purpose, three plasmids each containing a homologous sequence representing the upstream regions of the group A,

SUBMITTER: Gaida A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3049791 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature