title: Virulence and transmission success of the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum.
abstract: Virulence of Plasmodium falciparum is associated with the expression of variant surface antigens designated PfEMP1 (P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1) that are encoded by a family of var genes. Data presented show that the transmission stages of P. falciparum also express PfEMP1 variants. Virulence in this host-parasite system can be considered a variable outcome of optimizing the production of sexual transmission stages from the population of disease-inducing asexual stages. Immunity to PfEMP1 will contribute to the regulation of this trade-off by controlling the parasite population with potential to produce mature transmission stages.
authors: Wellcome Trust Centre for the Epidemiology of Infectious Disease, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS United Kingdom.
authors: R E
authors: RE
authors: Hayward
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Tiwari
authors: K P
authors: KP
authors: Piper
authors: D I
authors: DI
authors: Baruch
authors: K P
authors: KP
authors: Day
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000469:parasitology; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C085731:erythrocyte membrane protein 1, Plasmodium falciparum