Variants of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 expressed by different placental parasites are closely related and adhere to chondroitin sulfate A.
Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes adhere to syncytiotrophoblast cells lining the placenta via glycosaminoglycans, such as chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) and hyaluronic acid. Adherence of infected erythrocytes to host receptors is mediated by P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein-1 (PfEMP-1). A single PfEMP-1 domain (duffy binding-like [DBL]-3, of the gamma sequence class) from laboratory-adapted strains is thought to be responsible for binding to CSA. In this study, DBL-gamma domains expressed by placental P. falciparum isolates were shown to have an affinity to CSA. All parasite populations accumulating in infected placentas express only 1 variant of PfEMP-1, each of which contains a DBL-gamma domain with CSA binding capacities. Furthermore, sequence analysis data provide evidence for antigenic conservation among the DBL-gamma sequences expressed by different placental parasites. This study offers a close reflection of the process of parasite adhesion in the placenta and is crucial to the understanding of the pathogenesis of malaria during pregnancy.
Department of Parasitology, Institute for Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
A
A
Khattab
J
J
Kun
P
P
Deloron
P G
PG
Kremsner
M Q
MQ
Klinkert
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics*; D019556:COS Cells; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010920:Placenta / Q000469:parasitology*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000235:genetics; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000235:genetics; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014162:Transfection
D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C085731:erythrocyte membrane protein 1, Plasmodium falciparum; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates