Apparent bias for P. falciparum parasites carrying the wild-type pfcrt allele in the placenta.
Resistance to chloroquine has been linked to polymorphisms within the pfcrt gene of the human malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Here, we have investigated the prevalence of the pfcrt allele associated with chloroquine resistance in the peripheral blood and the placenta of pregnant women diagnosed with a P. falciparum infection. Our molecular epidemiological data show an unequal distribution with a significant under-representation of parasites carrying the mutated pfcrt allele in the placenta, as compared to the peripheral blood. In comparison, no differences were seen with regard to pfmdr1 polymorphisms of these parasites. Our data suggest a selective disadvantage of the polymorphic and a selective advantage of the wild-type pfcrt haplotype in the placenta, supporting the model that the human host provides various microenvironments that favor genetically distinct P. falciparum populations.
Oster
Nadja
N
Hygiene Institut, Abteilung Parasitologie, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
Rohrbach
Petra
P
Sanchez
Cecilia P
CP
Andrews
Katharine T
KT
Kammer
Judith
J
Coulibaly
Boubacar
B
Stieglbauer
Gabriele
G
Becher
Heiko
H
Lanzer
Michael
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001769:Blood / Q000469:parasitology*; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000469:parasitology*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D010920:Placenta / Q000469:parasitology*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000469:parasitology; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; C416369:PfCRT protein, Plasmodium falciparum; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D002738:Chloroquine