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Recombinant Duffy binding-like-α domains of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 elicit antibodies in rats that recognise conserved epitopes

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Abstract

Plasmodium falciparum parasites remodel the surface of human erythrocytes on invasion by the insertion of parasite-derived proteins in knob-like protrusions. P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP-1), a variant surface antigen, has been shown to be anchored in these knobs and mediates adhesion to various host endothelial receptors. These proteins also undergo clonal antigenic variation as a means of immune evasion. Duffy binding-like-α(DBL-α) domain together with the cysteine-rich interdomain region form the head structure of the PfEMP1 molecule. In this report, we used ten different recombinant DBL-α fusion proteins expressed in Escherichia coli to generate antibodies in experimental animals. Five out of ten recombinant DBL-α fusion proteins were immunogenic and induced antibodies that reacted with conserved peptides derived from PfEMP1. Indirect immunofluorescence assay was used to localise PfEMP-1-DBL-α expressed in parasitised erythrocytes. Positive fluorescence reactivity was observed within the cytoplasm and with membrane structures but not on the surface of intact P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Silvia Grummes and Andrea Weierich for technical assistance. This work was supported by the fortüne-Programme of the Medical Faculty of the University of Tübingen, the European Union (QLK2-CT-1999-01293) and a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Ku775/12-1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Parasitology, Institute for Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Wilhelmstrasse 27, 72074, Tübingen, Germany

    Raphael M. Oguariri, Cristina Tena-Tomás, Anne-Catrin Uhlemann, Peter G. Kremsner & Jürgen F. J. Kun

  2. Unité de Biologie des Interactions Hôte-Parasite, CNRS URA 1960, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France

    Denise Mattei

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  1. Raphael M. Oguariri
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  2. Denise Mattei
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  3. Cristina Tena-Tomás
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  4. Anne-Catrin Uhlemann
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  5. Peter G. Kremsner
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  6. Jürgen F. J. Kun
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Correspondence to Jürgen F. J. Kun.

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Oguariri, R.M., Mattei, D., Tena-Tomás, C. et al. Recombinant Duffy binding-like-α domains of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 elicit antibodies in rats that recognise conserved epitopes. Parasitol Res 90, 467–472 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-003-0884-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-003-0884-8

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