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Plasmodium falciparum expresses on the host erythrocyte surface clonally variant antigens and ligands that mediate adherence to endothelial receptors. Both are central to pathogenesis, since they allow chronicity of infection and lead to concentration of infected erythrocytes in cerebral vessels. Here we show that expression of variant antigenic determinants is correlated with expression of individual members of a large, multigene family named var. Each var gene contains copies of a motif that has been previously shown to bind diverse host receptors; expression of a specific var gene correlated with binding to ICAM-1. Thus, our findings are consistent with the involvement of var genes in antigenic variation and binding to endothelium.

Original publication

DOI

10.1016/0092-8674(95)90056-x

Type

Journal article

Journal

Cell

Publication Date

14/07/1995

Volume

82

Pages

101 - 110

Keywords

Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Antigenic Variation, Antigens, Protozoan, Base Sequence, Cell Adhesion Molecules, Cloning, Molecular, DNA Primers, Erythrocyte Membrane, Gene Expression Regulation, Gene Rearrangement, Genes, Protozoan, Humans, Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1, Molecular Sequence Data, Multigene Family, Plasmodium falciparum, RNA, Messenger, RNA, Protozoan, Sequence Alignment, Sequence Analysis, DNA