Merozoite surface coat precursor protein completely protects Aotus monkeys against Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
Groups of Aotus (owl) monkeys were immunized with either the Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface-coat precursor protein and its processing fragments or a complex of high molecular mass rhoptry proteins and challenged with a lethal infection of the homologous P. falciparum Uganda Palo Alto (FUP) strain. No patent parasitemia could be detected on thick blood films of monkeys immunized with the merozoite surface antigens; however, only one of three monkeys immunized with the rhoptry proteins was partially protected, while two required drug therapy. The experiment clearly demonstrates that the merozoite surface-coat precursor protein can completely protect Aotus monkeys against a lethal infection of the human malaria parasite.
D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001029:Aotus trivirgatus / Q000276:immunology*; D002427:Cebidae / Q000276:immunology*; D007114:Immunization; D008288:Malaria / Q000276:immunology*; D020066:Merozoite Surface Protein 1; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D020066:Merozoite Surface Protein 1; D011498:Protein Precursors