IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-024-55543-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Acquisition of Fc-afucosylation of PfEMP1-specific IgG is age-dependent and associated with clinical protection against malaria

Author

Listed:
  • Mary Lopez-Perez

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Zakaria Seidu

    (University of Copenhagen
    University of Ghana
    University of Ghana
    University for Development Studies)

  • Mads Delbo Larsen

    (Sanquin Research
    Utrecht University
    Copenhagen University Hospital)

  • Wenjun Wang

    (Leiden University Medical Center)

  • Jan Nouta

    (Leiden University Medical Center)

  • Manfred Wuhrer

    (Leiden University Medical Center)

  • Gestur Vidarsson

    (Sanquin Research
    Utrecht University)

  • Michael F. Ofori

    (University of Ghana)

  • Lars Hviid

    (University of Copenhagen
    Rigshospitalet)

Abstract

Protective immunity to malaria depends on acquisition of parasite-specific antibodies, with Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) being one of the most important target antigens. The effector functions of PfEMP1-specific IgG include inhibition of infected erythrocyte (IE) sequestration and opsonization of IEs for cell-mediated destruction. IgG glycosylation modulates antibody functionality, with increased affinity to FcγRIIIa for IgG lacking fucose in the Fc region (Fc-afucosylation). We report here that selective Fc-afucosylation of PfEMP1-specific IgG1 increases with age in P. falciparum-exposed children and is associated with reduced risk of anemia, independent of the IgG levels. A similar association was found for children having PfEMP1-specific IgG1 inducing multiple effector functions against IEs, particularly those associated with antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) by NK cells. Our findings provide new insights regarding protective immunity to P. falciparum malaria and highlight the importance of cell-mediated destruction of IgG-opsonized IEs.

Suggested Citation

  • Mary Lopez-Perez & Zakaria Seidu & Mads Delbo Larsen & Wenjun Wang & Jan Nouta & Manfred Wuhrer & Gestur Vidarsson & Michael F. Ofori & Lars Hviid, 2025. "Acquisition of Fc-afucosylation of PfEMP1-specific IgG is age-dependent and associated with clinical protection against malaria," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-55543-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-55543-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-55543-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-024-55543-w?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-55543-w. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.