Positive selection on the Plasmodium falciparum clag2 gene encoding a component of the erythrocyte-binding rhoptry protein complex.

ABSTRACT: A protein complex of high-molecular-mass proteins (PfRhopH) of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum induces host protective immunity and therefore is a candidate for vaccine development. Clarification of the level of polymorphism and the evolutionary processes is important both for vaccine design and for a better understanding of the evolution of cell invasion in this parasite. In a previous study on 5 genes encoding RhopH1/Clag proteins, positive diversifying selection was detected in clag8 and clag9 but not in the paralogous clag2, clag3.1 and clag3.2. In this study, to extend the analysis of clag polymorphism, we obtained sequences surrounding the most polymorphic regions of clag2, clag8, and clag9 from parasites collected in Thailand. Using sequence data obtained newly in t

SUBMITTER: Alexandre JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3191777 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature