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. 2018 May 11;6:e4757. doi: 10.7717/peerj.4757

Table 1. Variable surface antigens (VSAs) of Plasmodium, their receptors and functions.

Protein family Genes encoding the protein families Subtypes and chromosomal location Host receptors Functions
PfEMP1 var (∼ 60) varA, varB/A (Telomeric and subtelomeric)
varB (Telomeric and centromeric)
varC, varB/C (centromeric) Lavstsen et al. (2003)
CD36, ICAM1, VCAM1, TSP, CR1q, P-selectin, E-selectin, EPCR, CSA, Heparan sulfate, IgM, α2 macroglobulin Generation of antigenic diversity, immune evasion and cytoadherence
RIFIN rif (∼ 159) A-RIFINs and B-RIFINs Subtelomeric Glycophorin A on red blood cells Involvment in rosetting Goel et al. (2015), merozite invasion Mwakalinga et al. (2012), generation of antigenic diversity
STEVOR stevor (∼ 29) Subtelomeric Glycophorin C on red blood cells Rosetting, merozoite invasion Niang et al. (2014), and alteration of erythrocyte deformability Sanyal et al. (2012)
PfMC-2TM PfMC-2TM (∼ 13) Subtelomeric Not determined Probable role in formation of solute ion channels or providing anchoragment to surface exposed proteins Sam-Yellowe et al. (2004)
SURFIN surf (∼ 10) Subtelomeric Not determined Merozoite invasion Winter et al. (2005)