Differential var gene expression in the organs of patients dying of falciparurn malaria

Montgomery, Jacqui, Mphande, F. A., Berriman, M., Pain, A., Rogerson, S. J., Taylor, T. E., Molyneux, Malcolm E and Craig, Alister ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0914-6164 (2007) 'Differential var gene expression in the organs of patients dying of falciparurn malaria'. Molecular Microbiology, Vol 65, Issue 4, pp. 959-967.

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Abstract

Sequestration of parasitized erythrocytes in the microcirculation of tissues is thought to be important in the pathogenesis of severe falciparum malaria. A major variant surface antigen, varlPlasmodium falci-parum erythrocyte membrane protein 1, expressed on the surface of the infected erythrocyte, mediates cytoadherence to vascular endothelium. To address the question of tissue-specific accumulation of variant types, we used the unique resource generated by the clinicopathological study of fatal paediatric malaria in Blantyre, Malawi, to analyse var gene transcription in patients dying with falciparum malaria. Despite up to 102 different var genes being expressed by P. falciparum populations in a single host, only one to two of these genes were expressed at high levels in the brains and hearts of these patients. These major var types differed between organs. However, identical var types were expressed in the brains of multiple patients from a single malaria season. These results provide the first evidence of organ-specific accumulation of P. falciparum variant types and suggest that parasitized erythrocytes can exhibit preferential binding in the body, supporting the hypothesis of cytoadherence-linked pathogenesis.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	erythrocyte-membrane protein-1 severe childhood malaria plasmodium-falciparum functional specialization chondroitin sulfate cerebral malaria transcription family adhesion pfemp1
Subjects:	QU Biochemistry > Genetics > QU 450 General Works QX Parasitology > Protozoa > QX 135 Plasmodia WC Communicable Diseases > Tropical and Parasitic Diseases > WC 750 Malaria
Faculty: Department:	Groups (2002 - 2012) > Clinical Group Groups (2002 - 2012) > Molecular & Biochemical Parasitology Group
Digital Object Identifer (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2958.2007.05837.x
Depositing User:	Ms Julia Martin
Date Deposited:	20 Sep 2010 13:38
Last Modified:	17 Aug 2022 08:56
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/1244

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