RIFINs are adhesins implicated in severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
Rosetting is a virulent Plasmodium falciparum phenomenon associated with severe malaria. Here we demonstrate that P. falciparum-encoded repetitive interspersed families of polypeptides (RIFINs) are expressed on the surface of infected red blood cells (iRBCs), where they bind to RBCs--preferentially of blood group A--to form large rosettes and mediate microvascular binding of iRBCs. We suggest that RIFINs have a fundamental role in the development of severe malaria and thereby contribute to the varying global distribution of ABO blood groups in the human population.
Center for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Suchi
S
Goel
Center for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Mia
M
Palmkvist
Center for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Kirsten
K
Moll
Center for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Nicolas
N
Joannin
Center for Biomembrane Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Patricia
P
Lara
Center for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Reetesh R
RR
Akhouri
Center for Biomembrane Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Nasim
N
Moradi
Center for Biomembrane Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Karin
K
Öjemalm
Center for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Mattias
M
Westman
Center for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Davide
D
Angeletti
SciLifeLab, Departments of Oncology, Pathology, Molecular Medicine, and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Hanna
H
Kjellin
SciLifeLab, Departments of Oncology, Pathology, Molecular Medicine, and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Janne
J
Lehtiö
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Fredriksberg, Denmark.
Ola
O
Blixt
Department of Medical Physics, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Lars
L
Ideström
Department of Biosciences, Division of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Carl G
CG
Gahmberg
Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Jill R
JR
Storry
Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Annika K
AK
Hult
Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Martin L
ML
Olsson
Center for Biomembrane Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Gunnar
0000000244908569
G
von Heijne
Center for Biomembrane Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
IngMarie
I
Nilsson
Center for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Mats
M
Wahlgren
D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000502:physiology*; D016466:CHO Cells; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D004285:Dogs; D004330:Drosophila; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008861:Microsomes / Q000378:metabolism; D010179:Pancreas / Q000469:parasitology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000378:metabolism*; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D014162:Transfection
D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D015800:Protozoan Proteins