The RESA-2 gene of Plasmodium falciparum is transcribed in several independent isolates.
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.
Vazeux
G
G
Laboratoire de Parasitologie Mol culaire, Institut Pasteur de Guyane, Cayenne, French Guiana.
Le Scanf
C
C
Fandeur
T
T
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
D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C050256:ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (RESA), Plasmodium falciparum