title: Plasmodium vivax merozoite surface protein 8 cloning, expression, and characterisation.
abstract: Plasmodium vivax, one of the four parasite species causing malaria in humans, is the most widespread throughout the world, leading to nearly 80 million cases per year, mainly in Latin-America and Asia. An open reading frame encoding the Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein 8 P. vivax homologue has been identified in the present study by screening the current data obtained from this parasite's partially sequenced genome. This new protein contains 487 amino-acids, two epidermal growth factor like domains, hydrophobic regions at the N- and C-termini compatible with a signal peptide, and a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor site, respectively. This gene's transcription and its encoded protein expression have been assessed, as well as its recognition by P. vivax-infected patients' sera. Based on this recognition, and a previous study showing that mice immunised with the Plasmodium yoelii homologous protein were protected, we consider the PvMSP8 a good candidate to be included in a multi-stage multi-antigen P. vivax vaccine.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology Department, Fundacion Instituto de Inmunologia de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Perez-Leal
authors.forename: Adriana Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Sierra
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Barrero
authors.forename: Camilo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moncada
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Jimena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cortes
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: Luz M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Salazar
authors.forename: Manuel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Patarroyo
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000737:chemistry; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C431669:merozoite surface protein 8, Plasmodium; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor