title: Analysis of genetic diversity at the iron-containing superoxide dismutase locus in Plasmodium falciparum wild isolates.
abstract: In order to investigate the genetic diversity of iron-containing superoxide dismutase (FeSOD) from Plasmodium falciparum, a potential anti-malarial therapeutic target, we cloned and sequenced Plasmodium FeSOD from 26 blood samples from non-infected patients. Fifteen clones had the same nucleotide sequence as that of the FeSOD gene of the P. falciparum strain HB3 cultivated in vitro. The other 11 clones presented mutations responsible for punctual amino acid changes which did not modify key residues for the function or the structure of the enzyme. The high sequence conservation between FeSOD from the isolates confirms that this enzyme could represent a therapeutic target.
authors.affiliation: Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, BP 769, Franceville, Gabon.
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Baert
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deloron
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Viscogliosi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dauchez
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Camus
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dive
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000469:parasitology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D013482:Superoxide Dismutase