title: Changes in repeat number, sequence, and reading frame in S-antigen genes of Plasmodium falciparum.
abstract: The S antigens from different isolates of Plasmodium falciparum exhibit extensive size, charge, and serological diversity. We show here that the S-antigen genes behave as multiple alleles of a single locus. The size heterogeneity results from different numbers, lengths, and/or sequences of tandem repeat units encoded within the S-antigen genes. Two genes studied here encode antigenically different S antigens but nevertheless have closely related tandem repeat sequences. We show that antigenic differences can arise because repeats are translated in different reading frames.
authors.affiliation: Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Saint
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Coppel
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Cowman
authors.forename: G V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Barzaga
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kemp
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Anders
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics*; D019393:Arrestin; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005796:Genes; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics*; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D019393:Arrestin