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A superfamily of variant genes encoded in the subtelomeric region of Plasmodium vivax

Author

Listed:
  • Hernando A. del Portillo

    (Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo)

  • Carmen Fernandez-Becerra

    (Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo)

  • Sharen Bowman

    (Pathogen Sequencing Unit, Sanger Centre, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus)

  • Karen Oliver

    (Pathogen Sequencing Unit, Sanger Centre, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus)

  • Martin Preuss

    (Hygiene-Institut, Universität Heidelberg, INF 324)

  • Cecilia P. Sanchez

    (Hygiene-Institut, Universität Heidelberg, INF 324)

  • Nick K. Schneider

    (Hygiene-Institut, Universität Heidelberg, INF 324)

  • Juan M. Villalobos

    (Centro de Pesquisa em Medicina Tropical (CEPEM) , Estrada BR 364 – Km 4,5, Porto Velho)

  • Marie-Adele Rajandream

    (Pathogen Sequencing Unit, Sanger Centre, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus)

  • David Harris

    (Pathogen Sequencing Unit, Sanger Centre, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus)

  • Luiz H. Pereira da Silva

    (Centro de Pesquisa em Medicina Tropical (CEPEM) , Estrada BR 364 – Km 4,5, Porto Velho)

  • Bart Barrell

    (Pathogen Sequencing Unit, Sanger Centre, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus)

  • Michael Lanzer

    (Hygiene-Institut, Universität Heidelberg, INF 324)

Abstract

The malarial parasite Plasmodium vivax causes disease in humans, including chronic infections and recurrent relapses, but the course of infection is rarely fatal1,2, unlike that caused by Plasmodium falciparum. To investigate differences in pathogenicity between P. vivax and P. falciparum, we have compared the subtelomeric domains in the DNA of these parasites. In P. falciparum, subtelomeric domains are conserved and contain ordered arrays of members of multigene families, such as var3,4,5, rif6,7 and stevor8, encoding virulence determinants of cytoadhesion and antigenic variation. Here we identify, through the analysis of a continuous 155,711-base-pair sequence of a P. vivax chromosome end, a multigene family called vir, which is specific to P. vivax. The vir genes are present at about 600–1,000 copies per haploid genome and encode proteins that are immunovariant in natural infections, indicating that they may have a functional role in establishing chronic infection through antigenic variation.

Suggested Citation

  • Hernando A. del Portillo & Carmen Fernandez-Becerra & Sharen Bowman & Karen Oliver & Martin Preuss & Cecilia P. Sanchez & Nick K. Schneider & Juan M. Villalobos & Marie-Adele Rajandream & David Harris, 2001. "A superfamily of variant genes encoded in the subtelomeric region of Plasmodium vivax," Nature, Nature, vol. 410(6830), pages 839-842, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:410:y:2001:i:6830:d:10.1038_35071118
    DOI: 10.1038/35071118
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    Cited by:

    1. Brittany Hazzard & Juliana M. Sá & Haikel N. Bogale & Tales V. Pascini & Angela C. Ellis & Shuchi Amin & Jennifer S. Armistead & John H. Adams & Thomas E. Wellems & David Serre, 2024. "Single-cell analyses of polyclonal Plasmodium vivax infections and their consequences on parasite transmission," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.

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