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.
Khattab
A
A
Department of Parasitology, Institute for Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Kun
J
J
Deloron
P
P
Kremsner
P G
PG
Klinkert
M Q
MQ
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