STEVOR Multigene Family and Antigenic Variation in Malaria
Author Information
Author(s): Niang Makhtar, Yan Yam Xue, Preiser Peter Rainer
Primary Institution: Nanyang Technological University, School of Biological Sciences, Singapore
Hypothesis
What role does the STEVOR multigene family play in the antigenic variation of Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells?
Conclusion
The study demonstrates that STEVOR is expressed on the surface of infected red blood cells and contributes to antigenic variation.
Supporting Evidence
- STEVOR is clonally variant at the surface of schizont stage parasites.
- Expression of different STEVOR on the surface of the iRBC changes the antigenic property of the parasite.
- STEVOR plays a role in creating antigenic diversity of schizont stage parasites.
Takeaway
The malaria parasite can change its appearance to avoid being recognized by the immune system, and a specific protein called STEVOR helps it do this.
Methodology
The study used immunofluorescence assays, flow cytometry, and agglutination assays to analyze the expression of STEVOR proteins.
Limitations
The study does not provide experimental evidence for the predicted two-transmembrane domain structure of STEVOR.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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