Plasmodium vivax AMA1: Implications of distinct haplotypes for immune response

PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2020 Jul 8;14(7):e0008471. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008471. eCollection 2020 Jul.

Abstract

In Brazil, Plasmodium vivax infection accounts for around 80% of malaria cases. This infection has a substantial impact on the productivity of the local population as the course of the disease is usually prolonged and the development of acquired immunity in endemic areas takes several years. The recent emergence of drug-resistant strains has intensified research on alternative control methods such as vaccines. There is currently no effective available vaccine against malaria; however, numerous candidates have been studied in the past several years. One of the leading candidates is apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1). This protein is involved in the invasion of Apicomplexa parasites into host cells, participating in the formation of a moving junction. Understanding how the genetic diversity of an antigen influences the immune response is highly important for vaccine development. In this study, we analyzed the diversity of AMA1 from Brazilian P. vivax isolates and 19 haplotypes of P. vivax were found. Among those sequences, 33 nonsynonymous PvAMA1 amino acid sites were identified, whereas 20 of these sites were determined to be located in predicted B-cell epitopes. Nonsynonymous mutations were evaluated for their influence on the immune recognition of these antigens. Two distinct haplotypes, 5 and 16, were expressed and evaluated for reactivity in individuals from northern Brazil. Both PvAMA1 variants were reactive. Moreover, the IgG antibody response to these two PvAMA1 variants was analyzed in an exposed but noninfected population from a P. vivax endemic area. Interestingly, over 40% of this population had antibodies recognizing both variants. These results have implications for the design of a vaccine based on a polymorphic antigen.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antigens, Protozoan / genetics*
  • Circular Dichroism
  • DNA, Protozoan / genetics
  • Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte
  • Haplotypes
  • Humans
  • Malaria, Vivax / epidemiology
  • Malaria, Vivax / immunology*
  • Malaria, Vivax / parasitology*
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics*
  • Mutation
  • Plasmodium vivax / genetics*
  • Plasmodium vivax / immunology
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protozoan Proteins / genetics*
  • Recombinant Proteins

Substances

  • Antigens, Protozoan
  • DNA, Protozoan
  • Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Protozoan Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • apical membrane antigen I, Plasmodium

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Grant 476904/2013-7 and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Grant 2012/16525-2, and fellowship grants 2015/02808-0 (to NB), 2016/12855-9 (JLS-FCNPq) (306767/2018-8 (CNPq to RLDM). MVGL and FTMC are Conselho Nacional do Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) research fellows. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.