title: Evaluation of codon optimized recombinant Plasmodium knowlesi merozoite surface protein-119 (pkMSP-119) expressed in Pichia pastoris.
abstract: Malaria causes high global mortality and morbidity annually. Plasmodium knowlesi has been recognised as the fifth human Plasmodium sp. and its infection is widely distributed in Southeast Asia. Merozoite surface protein-119 (MSP-119) appears as a potential candidate for malaria blood stage vaccine as it could induce protective immunity. In this study, codon optimized P. knowlesi MSP-119 (pkMSP-119) was expressed and purified in yeast Pichia pastoris expression system. The purified recombinant protein was further evaluated using Western blot assay using knowlesi malaria, non-knowlesi human malaria, non-malarial parasitic infections and healthy serum samples (n = 50). The sensitivity of purified pkMSP-119 towards detection of knowlesi infection was as 28.6% (2/7). pkMSP-119 did not react with all non-malarial parasitic infections and healthy donor sera, yet reacted with some non-knowlesi human malaria sera, therefore lead to a specificity of 86.0% (37/43).
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Y L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Cheong
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mahmud
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry Dean's Office, Faculty of Dentistry Building, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Fong
mesh_terms: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003062:Codon; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D020066:Merozoite Surface Protein 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010843:Pichia / Q000235:genetics; D016790:Plasmodium knowlesi / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D003062:Codon; D020066:Merozoite Surface Protein 1; D011994:Recombinant Proteins