title: Functional analysis of Plasmodium falciparum merozoite antigens: implications for erythrocyte invasion and vaccine development.
abstract: Malaria is a major human health problem and is responsible for over 2 million deaths per year. It is caused by a number of species of the genus Plasmodium, and Plasmodium falciparum is the causative agent of the most lethal form. Consequently, the development of a vaccine against this parasite is a priority. There are a number of stages of the parasite life cycle that are being targeted for the development of vaccines. Important candidate antigens include proteins on the surface of the asexual merozoite stage, the form that invades the host erythrocyte. The development of methods to manipulate the genome of Plasmodium species has enabled the construction of gain-of-function and loss-of-function mutants and provided new strategies to analyse the role of parasite proteins. This has provided new information on the role of merozoite antigens in erythrocyte invasion and also allows new approaches to address their potential as vaccine candidates.
authors.affiliation: The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria 3050, Australia. cowman@wehi.edu.au
authors.forename: Alan F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Cowman
authors.forename: Deborah L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Baldi
authors.forename: Manoj
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Duraisingh
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Healer
authors.forename: Kerry E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: Rebecca A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: O'Donnell
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Triglia
authors.forename: Mark E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Wickham
authors.forename: Brendan S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Crabb
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans; D017780:Malaria Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000517:prevention & control; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D017385:Sequence Homology
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D017780:Malaria Vaccines; D015800:Protozoan Proteins