This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Rottmann, M.
Right arrow Articles by Beck, H.-P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Rottmann, M.
Right arrow Articles by Beck, H.-P.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infection and Immunity, July 2006, p. 3904-3911, Vol. 74, No. 7
0019-9567/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.02073-05
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Differential Expression of var Gene Groups Is Associated with Morbidity Caused by Plasmodium falciparum Infection in Tanzanian Children

Matthias Rottmann,1,{dagger} Thomas Lavstsen,2,{dagger} Joseph Paschal Mugasa,3 Mirjam Kaestli,1 Anja T. R. Jensen,2 Dania Müller,1 Thor Theander,2 and Hans-Peter Beck1*

Swiss Tropical Institute, Socinstrasse 57, Postfach 4002 Basel, Switzerland,1 Centre for Medical Parasitology at Institute for Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Copenhagen, Panum Institute 24-2, Blegdamsvej 3, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark,2 Ifakara Health Research and Development Centre, P.O. Box 53, Ifakara, Morogoro, Tanzania3

Received 23 December 2005/ Returned for modification 28 January 2006/ Accepted 4 April 2006

The var gene family of Plasmodium falciparum encodes the variant surface antigen Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1). PfEMP1 is considered an important pathogenicity factor in P. falciparum infection because it mediates cytoadherence to host cell endothelial receptors. var genes can be grouped into three major groups, A, B, and C, and the conserved var genes, var1-4, according to sequence similarities in coding and noncoding upstream regions. Using real-time quantitative PCR in a study conducted in Tanzania, the var transcript abundances of the different var gene groups were compared among patients with severe, uncomplicated, and asymptomatic malaria. Transcripts of var group A and B genes were more abundant in patients with severe malaria than in patients with uncomplicated malaria. In general, the transcript abundances of var group A and B genes were higher for children with clinical malaria than for children with asymptomatic infections. The var group C and var1-like transcript abundances were similar between the three sample groups. A transcript abundance pattern similar to that for var group A was observed for var2csa and var3-like genes. These results suggest that substantial and systematic differences in var gene expression exist between different clinical presentations.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Swiss Tropical Institute, Socinstrasse 57, CH 4002 Basel, Switzerland. Phone: 41-61-284 8116. Fax: 41-61-284 8101. E-mail: hans-peter.beck{at}unibas.ch.

Editor: W. A. Petri, Jr.

{dagger} M.R. and T.L. contributed equally to this work.

Infection and Immunity, July 2006, p. 3904-3911, Vol. 74, No. 7
0019-9567/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.02073-05
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Buckee, C. O, Bull, P. C, Gupta, S. (2009). Inferring malaria parasite population structure from serological networks. Proc R Soc B 276: 477-485 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Normark, J., Nilsson, D., Ribacke, U., Winter, G., Moll, K., Wheelock, C. E., Bayarugaba, J., Kironde, F., Egwang, T. G., Chen, Q., Andersson, B., Wahlgren, M. (2007). PfEMP1-DBL1{alpha} amino acid motifs in severe disease states of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104: 15835-15840 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kyes, S. A., Kraemer, S. M., Smith, J. D. (2007). Antigenic Variation in Plasmodium falciparum: Gene Organization and Regulation of the var Multigene Family. Eukaryot Cell 6: 1511-1520 [Full Text]  
  • Toure, F. S., Ouwe-Missi-Oukem-Boyer, O., Mezui-Me-Ndong, J., Ndong-Atome, G. R., Bisvigou, U., Mazier, D., Bisser, S. (2007). Cytoadherence and Genotype of Plasmodium falciparum Strains from Symptomatic Children in Franceville, Southeastern Gabon. Clin Med Res 5: 106-113 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Conway, D. J. (2007). Molecular Epidemiology of Malaria. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 20: 188-204 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»