Structure and function of a thymic peptide is mimicked by Plasmodium falciparum peptides.
Numerous Plasmodium falciparum antigens contain repetitive amino acid sequences. Two blood stage antigens, Pf11-1 and Pf332, were characterized in our laboratories and present high cross-reactivities, defining a family of cross-reacting antigens. In this report, we show that amino acid sequence homologies might explain these cross-reactivities, but that they extend to polypeptides from the host, namely thymosin-alpha 1 (T alpha 1). An antiserum raised in chickens and Saimiri monkeys against the synthetic Pf11-1 peptide cross-reacts with synthetic T alpha 1. Synthetic Pf11-1 and Pf332 peptides share some of the biological activities of T alpha 1. These results are discussed with respect to the mechanisms devised by malaria parasites for escape from the host immune response.
Dubois
P
P
Unité de Parasitologie Expérimentale, Institut Pasteur, Paris.
Dardenne
M
M
Fandeur
T
T
Mercereau-Puijalon
O
O
Mattei
D
D
Müller-Hill
B
B
Blisnick
T
T
Pereira da Silva
L
L
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis; D001681:Biological Assay; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D012397:Rosette Formation; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens; D000077596:Thymalfasin; D013947:Thymosin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000276:immunology
D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D010455:Peptides; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens; D013947:Thymosin; D000077596:Thymalfasin