title: The complete sequence of Plasmodium berghei merozoite surface protein-1 and its inter- and intra-species variability.
abstract: The complete gene for merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP-1) from Plasmodium berghei has been cloned and sequenced. Comparison of the P. berghei MSP-1 sequence with MSP-1 from other rodent parasites reveals five conserved domains interrupted by four variable blocks. These variable blocks exhibit no sequence homology but do have similar amino acid compositions. Primary proteolytic processing sites are located near the boundaries between the conserved domains and the variable blocks. Sequencing of the variable blocks from several P. berghei isolates shows that the predominant intra-species difference is in the number of tandem repeats. The inter- and intra-species differences suggest that the variable blocks are localized areas with relatively high levels of slipped-strand mispairing, unequal crossing-over, or other intragenic recombination activity. MSP-1 from P. berghei exhibits more repetitiveness than MSP-1 from other species suggesting that P. berghei experiences a higher intrinsic level of events producing variable numbers of tandem repeats or a lower level of events leading to the degeneration of tandem repeats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tropical Medicine, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Jennings
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Toebe
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van Belkum
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Wiser
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D014644:Genetic Variation; D020066:Merozoite Surface Protein 1; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000235:genetics*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D020066:Merozoite Surface Protein 1; D011498:Protein Precursors; D015800:Protozoan Proteins