title: Conservation and heterogeneity of the glutamate-rich protein (GLURP) among field isolates and laboratory lines of Plasmodium falciparum.
abstract: Genetic variation of the glutamate-rich protein (GLURP) of Plasmodium falciparum was analysed in 29 field isolates and 15 laboratory lines of diverse geographical origin, by DNA sequencing of the non-repetitive 5'-region (R0) of the glurp gene. Polymorphism with respect to the length of the GLURP R2 repeat region was also analysed by a polymerase chain reaction method. As reference, the nucleotide sequence of the highly polymorphic 3'-region of the circumsporozoite protein gene was determined in the same isolates. It was found that even in the presence of variations in the GLURP R2 repeat region, immunodominant parts of the GLURP R0 region are surprisingly well conserved and the conservation is most pronounced in isolates from locations with very high malaria transmission. This might indicate that the R0 structure plays an important role in the parasite.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300 CopenhagenS, Denmark.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: de Stricker
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vuust
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jepsen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oeuvray
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Theisen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C041595:circumsporozoite protein, Protozoan; C072492:glutamate-rich protein, Plasmodium