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. 1987 Aug;7(8):2968–2973. doi: 10.1128/mcb.7.8.2968

Changes in repeat number, sequence, and reading frame in S-antigen genes of Plasmodium falciparum.

R B Saint 1, R L Coppel 1, A F Cowman 1, G V Brown 1, P T Shi 1, N Barzaga 1, D J Kemp 1, R F Anders 1
PMCID: PMC367916  PMID: 3313007

Abstract

The S antigens from different isolates of Plasmodium falciparum exhibit extensive size, charge, and serological diversity. We show here that the S-antigen genes behave as multiple alleles of a single locus. The size heterogeneity results from different numbers, lengths, and/or sequences of tandem repeat units encoded within the S-antigen genes. Two genes studied here encode antigenically different S antigens but nevertheless have closely related tandem repeat sequences. We show that antigenic differences can arise because repeats are translated in different reading frames.

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Selected References

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