Skip to main content
PMC home page
The EMBO Journal logoLink to The EMBO Journal
. 1988 Jan;7(1):225–230. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1988.tb02803.x

Major surface antigen p190 of Plasmodium falciparum: detection of common epitopes present in a variety of plasmodia isolates.

R Gentz 1, U Certa 1, B Takacs 1, H Matile 1, H Döbeli 1, R Pink 1, M Mackay 1, N Bone 1, J G Scaife 1
PMCID: PMC454261  PMID: 2452082

Abstract

Plasmodium falciparum merozoites are covered with polymorphic proteins that are processed from a 190 kd (p190) precursor protein. These are candidates for an antimalarial vaccine. We cloned and expressed a number of DNA fragments, comprising almost the entire p190 gene of the K1 isolate, in Escherichia coli. Pooled human endemic-area sera and rabbit antibodies raised against p190 protein isolated from K1 parasites react with only a limited number of the recombinant proteins. From these studies we could select two antigenic polypeptides containing conserved amino acid stretches of the otherwise highly polymorphic protein. Rabbits and mice injected with the purified recombinant proteins produce antibodies reacting differentially with various isolates of P. falciparum. We obtained antibodies detecting all isolates tested and a monoclonal antibody specific for isolates containing a K1 type allele of the p190 gene.

Full text

PDF
225

Images in this article

227Image
on p.227
228Image
on p.228
228Image
on p.228
229Image
on p.229

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Amann E., Brosius J., Ptashne M. Vectors bearing a hybrid trp-lac promoter useful for regulated expression of cloned genes in Escherichia coli. Gene. 1983 Nov;25(2-3):167–178. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(83)90222-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Ardeshir F., Flint J. E., Reese R. T. Expression of Plasmodium falciparum surface antigens in Escherichia coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 Apr;82(8):2518–2522. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.8.2518. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Certa U., Bannwarth W., Stüber D., Gentz R., Lanzer M., Le Grice S., Guillot F., Wendler I., Hunsmann G., Bujard H. Subregions of a conserved part of the HIV gp41 transmembrane protein are differentially recognized by antibodies of infected individuals. EMBO J. 1986 Nov;5(11):3051–3056. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1986.tb04605.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Certa U., Rotmann D., Matile H., Reber-Liske R. A naturally occurring gene encoding the major surface antigen precursor p190 of Plasmodium falciparum lacks tripeptide repeats. EMBO J. 1987 Dec 20;6(13):4137–4142. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1987.tb02759.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cheung A., Leban J., Shaw A. R., Merkli B., Stocker J., Chizzolini C., Sander C., Perrin L. H. Immunization with synthetic peptides of a Plasmodium falciparum surface antigen induces antimerozoite antibodies. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Nov;83(21):8328–8332. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.21.8328. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cheung A., Shaw A. R., Leban J., Perrin L. H. Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli of a surface antigen of Plasmodium falciparum merozoites. EMBO J. 1985 Apr;4(4):1007–1011. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1985.tb03731.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Desjardins R. E., Canfield C. J., Haynes J. D., Chulay J. D. Quantitative assessment of antimalarial activity in vitro by a semiautomated microdilution technique. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1979 Dec;16(6):710–718. doi: 10.1128/aac.16.6.710. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Freeman R. R., Holder A. A. Surface antigens of malaria merozoites. A high molecular weight precursor is processed to an 83,000 mol wt form expressed on the surface of Plasmodium falciparum merozoites. J Exp Med. 1983 Nov 1;158(5):1647–1653. doi: 10.1084/jem.158.5.1647. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hall R., Hyde J. E., Goman M., Simmons D. L., Hope I. A., Mackay M., Scaife J., Merkli B., Richle R., Stocker J. Major surface antigen gene of a human malaria parasite cloned and expressed in bacteria. 1984 Sep 27-Oct 3Nature. 311(5984):379–382. doi: 10.1038/311379a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hall R., McBride J., Morgan G., Tait A., Zolg J. W., Walliker D., Scaife J. Antigens of the erythrocytes stages of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum detected by monoclonal antibodies. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 1983 Mar;7(3):247–265. doi: 10.1016/0166-6851(83)90025-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Holder A. A., Freeman R. R. Biosynthesis and processing of a Plasmodium falciparum schizont antigen recognized by immune serum and a monoclonal antibody. J Exp Med. 1982 Nov 1;156(5):1528–1538. doi: 10.1084/jem.156.5.1528. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Holder A. A., Freeman R. R. The three major antigens on the surface of Plasmodium falciparum merozoites are derived from a single high molecular weight precursor. J Exp Med. 1984 Aug 1;160(2):624–629. doi: 10.1084/jem.160.2.624. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Holder A. A., Lockyer M. J., Odink K. G., Sandhu J. S., Riveros-Moreno V., Nicholls S. C., Hillman Y., Davey L. S., Tizard M. L., Schwarz R. T. Primary structure of the precursor to the three major surface antigens of Plasmodium falciparum merozoites. Nature. 1985 Sep 19;317(6034):270–273. doi: 10.1038/317270a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Howard R. F., Ardeshir F., Reese R. T. Conservation and antigenicity of N-terminal sequences of GP185 from different Plasmodium falciparum isolates. Gene. 1986;46(2-3):197–205. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(86)90404-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kemp D. J., Coppel R. L., Stahl H. D., Bianco A. E., Corcoran L. M., McIntyre P., Langford C. J., Favaloro J. M., Crewther P. E., Brown G. V. The Wellcome Trust lecture. Genes for antigens of Plasmodium falciparum. Parasitology. 1986;92 (Suppl):S83–108. doi: 10.1017/s0031182000085711. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Laemmli U. K. Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature. 1970 Aug 15;227(5259):680–685. doi: 10.1038/227680a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Lyon J. A., Haynes J. D., Diggs C. L., Chulay J. D., Haidaris C. G., Pratt-Rossiter J. Monoclonal antibody characterization of the 195-kilodalton major surface glycoprotein of Plasmodium falciparum malaria schizonts and merozoites: identification of additional processed products and a serotype-restricted repetitive epitope. J Immunol. 1987 Feb 1;138(3):895–901. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Mackay M., Goman M., Bone N., Hyde J. E., Scaife J., Certa U., Stunnenberg H., Bujard H. Polymorphism of the precursor for the major surface antigens of Plasmodium falciparum merozoites: studies at the genetic level. EMBO J. 1985 Dec 30;4(13B):3823–3829. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1985.tb04154.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. McBride J. S., Newbold C. I., Anand R. Polymorphism of a high molecular weight schizont antigen of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. J Exp Med. 1985 Jan 1;161(1):160–180. doi: 10.1084/jem.161.1.160. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Perrin L. H., Merkli B., Loche M., Chizzolini C., Smart J., Richle R. Antimalarial immunity in Saimiri monkeys. Immunization with surface components of asexual blood stages. J Exp Med. 1984 Aug 1;160(2):441–451. doi: 10.1084/jem.160.2.441. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Perrin L. H., Ramirez E., Er-Hsiang L., Lambert P. H. Plasmodium falciparum: characterization of defined antigens by monoclonal antibodies. Clin Exp Immunol. 1980 Jul;41(1):91–96. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Sanger F., Nicklen S., Coulson A. R. DNA sequencing with chain-terminating inhibitors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Dec;74(12):5463–5467. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.12.5463. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Siddiqui W. A., Tam L. Q., Kramer K. J., Hui G. S., Case S. E., Yamaga K. M., Chang S. P., Chan E. B., Kan S. C. Merozoite surface coat precursor protein completely protects Aotus monkeys against Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987 May;84(9):3014–3018. doi: 10.1073/pnas.84.9.3014. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Simmons D., Woollett G., Bergin-Cartwright M., Kay D., Scaife J. A malaria protein exported into a new compartment within the host erythrocyte. EMBO J. 1987 Feb;6(2):485–491. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1987.tb04779.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Stueber D., Ibrahimi I., Cutler D., Dobberstein B., Bujard H. A novel in vitro transcription-translation system: accurate and efficient synthesis of single proteins from cloned DNA sequences. EMBO J. 1984 Dec 20;3(13):3143–3148. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1984.tb02271.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Takacs B., Staehli C. Activated macrophages and antibodies against the plant lectin, GSI-B4, recognize the same tumor-associated structure (TAS). J Immunol. 1987 Mar 15;138(6):1999–2007. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Tanabe K., Mackay M., Goman M., Scaife J. G. Allelic dimorphism in a surface antigen gene of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. J Mol Biol. 1987 May 20;195(2):273–287. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(87)90649-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Trager W., Jensen J. B. Human malaria parasites in continuous culture. Science. 1976 Aug 20;193(4254):673–675. doi: 10.1126/science.781840. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Trisler P., Gottesman S. lon transcriptional regulation of genes necessary for capsular polysaccharide synthesis in Escherichia coli K-12. J Bacteriol. 1984 Oct;160(1):184–191. doi: 10.1128/jb.160.1.184-191.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Vieira J., Messing J. The pUC plasmids, an M13mp7-derived system for insertion mutagenesis and sequencing with synthetic universal primers. Gene. 1982 Oct;19(3):259–268. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(82)90015-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Weber J. L., Leininger W. M., Lyon J. A. Variation in the gene encoding a major merozoite surface antigen of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Nucleic Acids Res. 1986 Apr 25;14(8):3311–3323. doi: 10.1093/nar/14.8.3311. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The EMBO Journal are provided here courtesy of Nature Publishing Group

RESOURCES