title: The RESA-2 gene of Plasmodium falciparum is transcribed in several independent isolates.
abstract: The relevance of the ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (RESA) of Plasmodium falciparum as a malaria vaccine candidate has been questioned of late because RESA-deficient parasites have been found to multiply normally in culture or in monkeys. The RESA-2 gene was recently described as a pseudogene highly homologous to RESA. In this report, we demonstrate that RESA-2 is not a pseudogene, because we were able to detect RESA-2 transcripts in asexual blood stages of multiple isolates by using polymerase chain reaction on reverse-transcribed mRNA. Transcription of RESA-2 was observed whether or not the isolates studied expressed the RESA protein.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Parasitologie Mol culaire, Institut Pasteur de Guyane, Cayenne, French Guiana.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vazeux
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Le Scanf
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fandeur
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D015870:Gene Expression; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C050256:ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (RESA), Plasmodium falciparum