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Infection and Immunity, May 1999, p. 2075-2081, Vol. 67, No. 5
0019-9567/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Identification of the Plasmodium chabaudi Homologue of Merozoite Surface Proteins 4 and 5 of Plasmodium falciparum

Casilda G. Black,1 Lina Wang,1 Alan R. Hibbs,2 Ekkehard Werner,3 and Ross L. Coppel1,*

Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton 3168,1 and Centre for Molecular Biology and Medicine, Epworth Hospital, Richmond 3121,2 Victoria, Australia, and Division of Parasitology, NIMR, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom3

Received 17 September 1998/Returned for modification 28 October 1998/Accepted 21 January 1999

Previous studies of Plasmodium falciparum have identified a region of chromosome 2 in which are clustered three genes for glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored merozoite surface proteins, MSP2, MSP5, and MSP4, arranged in tandem. MSP4 and MSP5 both encode proteins 272 residues long that contain hydrophobic signal sequences, GPI attachment signals, and a single epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domain at their carboxyl termini. Nevertheless, the remainder of their protein coding regions are quite dissimilar. The locations and similar structural features of these genes suggest that they have arisen from a gene duplication event. Here we describe the identification of the syntenic region of the genome in the murine malaria parasite, Plasmodium chabaudi adami DS. Only one open reading frame is present in this region, and it encodes a protein with structural features reminiscent of both MSP4 and MSP5, including a single EGF-like domain. Accordingly, the gene has been designated PcMSP4/5. The homologue of the P. falciparum MSP2 gene could not be found in P. chabaudi; however, the amino terminus of the PcMSP4/5 protein shows similarity to that of MSP2. The PcMSP4/5 gene encodes a protein with an apparent molecular mass of 36 kDa, and this protein is detected in mature stages of the parasite. The protein partitions in the detergent-enriched phase after Triton X-114 fractionation and is localized to the surfaces of trophozoites and developing and free merozoites. The PcMSP4/5 gene is transcribed in both ring and trophozoite stages but appears to be spliced in a stage-specific manner such that the central intron is spliced from the mRNA in the parasitic stage in which the protein is expressed.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Wellington Rd., Clayton 3168, Victoria, Australia. Phone: 61-3-9905-4822. Fax: 61-3-9905-4811. E-mail: ross.coppel{at}med.monash.edu.au.

Infection and Immunity, May 1999, p. 2075-2081, Vol. 67, No. 5
0019-9567/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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