A survey of the Th2R and Th3R allelic variants in the circumsporozoite protein gene of P. falciparum parasites from western Thailand

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 2004 Jun;35(2):281-7.

Abstract

Allelic variation in the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein (CS) gene has been determined by sequencing the immunodominant T-cell epitopes, Th2R and Th3R, from 95 isolates from two malaria-endemic areas in the west of Thailand. Comparison with a reference sequence revealed only non-synonymous point mutations in the two epitope regions. Point mutations were found outside these epitopes in a minority of samples, and all but four were also non-synonymous. A relatively high number of variants, 11 Th2R and 9 Th3R, were detected and comprised some that had not been previously observed. However, the Th2R*05 and the Th3R*01 allelic variants predominated, as they were found in more than 70% of the 101 sequences obtained.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alleles*
  • Animals
  • Antigens, Protozoan / genetics*
  • Base Sequence
  • DNA, Protozoan / genetics
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / genetics*
  • Malaria, Falciparum / parasitology*
  • Plasmodium falciparum / genetics*
  • Plasmodium falciparum / immunology
  • Polymorphism, Genetic
  • Protozoan Proteins / genetics*
  • Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid
  • Thailand

Substances

  • Antigens, Protozoan
  • DNA, Protozoan
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte
  • Protozoan Proteins
  • circumsporozoite protein, Protozoan