title: The T cell reactivity against the major merozoite protein of Plasmodium falciparum.
abstract: We have undertaken a systematic search for T cell epitopes within the sequence of the major merozoite surface antigen (GP190) of Plasmodium falciparum. Recombinant polypeptides expressed in E. coli were used to evaluate the reactivity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from both inhabitants of a rural community of West Africa exposed to P. falciparum transmission and from German patients with diagnosis of acute malaria. Although the proliferative response of the PBMC was in most cases very low, several T cell clones could be established. Deletion analysis of each gp190-derived polypeptide allowed the identification of six different T cell epitopes. Epitopes could be mapped within the dimorphic region of gp190, which also contains the sequences most frequently recognized by sera from adult individuals living in endemic areas.
authors.affiliation: ZMBH, Zentrum für Molekulare Biologie Heidelberg, Universität Heidelberg, F.R.G.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crisanti
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Früh
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bujard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D002999:Clone Cells; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008302:Mali; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins