Differential selective pressures on the merozoite surface protein 2 locus of Plasmodium falciparum in a low endemic area.

ABSTRACT: 195 Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein-2 alleles collected in Tak Province, Thailand, in 1996 and 2006 revealed extremely limited sequence polymorphism except in the variable (V) region, which defines the two allelic families 3D7 and FC27. This pattern is most easily explained by repeated inter-allelic gene conversion events homogenizing alleles outside the V region. Comparison of synonymous and nonsynonymous differences in V regions within allelic families supported the hypothesis that amino acid sequence polymorphism in this region is selectively favored. The pattern of sequence differentiation supported the hypothesis that repeats in the V region have evolved by concerted evolution in the 3D7 family but not in the FC27 family. In the FC27 family two alleles of relatively hi

SUBMITTER: Putaporntip C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3427789 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature