Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0024530 (malaria)
 44,886 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Schistosomiasis, the second major parasitic disease in the world after malaria affects at least 200 million people, 500 million being exposed to the risk of infection. It is widely agreed that a vaccine strategy which could lead to the induction of effector mechanisms reducing the level of reinfection and ideally parasite fecundity would deeply affect the incidence of pathological manifestations as well as the parasite transmission potentialities. Extensive studies performed in the rat model have allowed the identification of novel effector mechanisms involving IgE antibodies and various inflammatory cell populations (eosinophils, macrophages and platelets) whereas regulation of immune response by blocking antibodies has been evidenced. Recent epidemiological studies have now entirely confirmed in human populations the role of IgE antibodies in the acquisition of resistance and the association of IgG4 blocking antibodies with increased susceptibility. On the basis of these concepts, several schistosome target proteins have been identified and their encoding genes cloned. One of them, a schistosome glutathione S-transferase (Sm 28 GST) appears as a promising vaccine candidate. Immunization experiments have shown that two complementary goals can be achieved: (a) a partial but significant reduction of the worm population (up to 60% in rats); (b) a significant reduction of parasite fecundity (up to 70% in mice and 85% in cattle) and egg viability (up to 80%). At least two distinct immunological mechanisms account for these two effects. IgE antibodies appear as a major humoral component of acquired resistance whereas IgA antibodies appear as a major humoral factor affecting parasite fecundity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Vaccine strategies against schistosomiasis. 134 2

In Turkey, the mosquito Anopheles sacharovi has been under field selection pressure sequentially with DDT, dieldrin, malathion and pirimiphosmethyl over a period of 30 years for the purpose of malaria control. In 1984, the field population of An.sacharovi in the malarious Cukurova plain of Adana Province contained an altered acetylcholinesterase-based resistance gene giving broad spectrum resistance against organophosphorus and carbamate insecticides. The cross-resistance spectrum from this mechanism conferred resistance to malathion but not to the organophosphorus insecticide pirimiphos-methyl. Over the 6 years that pirimiphos-methyl has been applied for malaria vector control in this area, the frequency of the altered acetylcholinesterase resistance gene has declined, although in 1989 and 1990 it was still present at measurable frequencies in An.sacharovi from Cukurova. In addition to the acetylcholinesterase resistance mechanism there is evidence of an increased level of glutathione S-transferase in some of the An.sacharovi populations tested. This is known to be correlated with DDT resistance in other anophelines. In Turkish An.sacharovi, DDT resistance and elevated glutathione S-transferase occur in the same populations at similar frequencies. The continued prevalence of resistance to DDT and dieldrin, long after the 1971 cessation of DDT spraying for malaria control in Turkey, suggests that the DDT resistance gene has insufficient reduced fitness associated with it to have been lost from the field population during the past two decades. The implications of the slow decline in resistance gene frequencies in this field population are discussed in relation to mathematical models for managing resistance.
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PMID:Insecticide resistance gene frequencies in Anopheles sacharovi populations of the Cukurova plain, Adana Province, Turkey. 146 99

We have reported previously that immunization with a bacterial recombinant protein containing the two epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like modules of Plasmodium yoelii Merozoite Surface Protein-1 (MSP-1) protected mice against challenge with this malaria parasite. Bacterial plasmids containing sequences coding for the individual modules fused to glutathione S-transferase (GST) have now been made. The fusion protein containing the combined EGF-like modules was recognized by anti-parasite antibodies and was immunogenic, producing high titre anti-parasite and anti-GST antibodies. In contrast, fusion proteins containing the two individual EGF-like modules reacted poorly with the natural antibodies and their proteins, as well as a simple mixture of them, induced low levels of anti-parasite antibodies despite producing high levels of anti-GST antibody. Antibodies raised to the recombinant proteins recognized the 230 kDa MSP-1. Groups of mice immunized with the different recombinant proteins were challenged with parasites: protection was observed in the group which had received the recombinant protein containing both modules but not in those groups immunized with the individual modules, either alone or as a mixture. These results suggest that there are important structural determinants formed by the two modules together, which are not present in either of the individual domains alone, and which are responsible for the immunogenicity of the protein or are the target of protective antibodies.
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PMID:The combined epidermal growth factor-like modules of Plasmodium yoelii Merozoite Surface Protein-1 are required for a protective immune response to the parasite. 750 23

A DNA fragment, designated as P190TR, encoding amino acid residues of the tripeptide region of the P190 antigen was amplified by polymerase chain reaction from genomic DNA of FCC1/HN Plasmodium falciparum isolated from Hainan Province, China. Upon comparison with the nucleotide sequences of MAD20 allele, it was found that there were five bases substitution in the P190TR which cause amino acid changes. The DNA fragment sequenced were ligated to BamHI and XbaI-digested pGEX-2T vector. Competent E. coli JM109 (DE3) were transformed with either parental or recombinant pGEX-2T for expression. Analysis of soluble cellular proteins revealed the high level expression of GST-P190TR as fusion proteins. Affinity purification of the fusion protein under nondenaturing condition resulted in the removal of almost all other E. coli proteins. The purified P190TR protein was highly immunogenic in rabbits. The antibodies against the recombinant protein recognized the malaria parasite with the titers at 1:320 measured by IFA and antisera from malarial patients reacted with the expressed protein in Western Blot.
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PMID:Expression and immunogenicity of tripeptide repeat region on P190 of Plasmodium falciparum. 778 21

Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is one of the human genetic traits that confer relative resistance against malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum. It has been previously shown that this organism, during its intraerythrocytic development, produces its own G6PD, which has properties different from those of human G6PD. In order to investigate the role of this enzyme in parasite-host cell interactions, we have isolated the G6PD gene from Plasmodium falciparum as a set of overlapping lambda gt11 clones. By sequence analysis we have found a single open reading frame, uninterrupted by introns, coding for a protein of 910 amino acids, almost twice as long as any previously sequenced G6PD molecule. The P. falciparum G6PD mRNA is 5.1 kb in size and has an exceptionally long 5' untranslated region of some 1000 nucleotides. We have mapped the G6PD gene to chromosome 14. The C-terminal portion of the predicted protein, from amino acid 310-910 (except for an 'insert' of 62 amino acids), has 39% homology to human G6PD, with a number of characteristic, fully conserved peptides. The N-terminal portion of the predicted protein has no homology to G6PD, but it contains a peptide in which 7 out of 12 amino acids are identical to the putative glutathione binding site of human glutathione S-transferase.
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PMID:Cloning of the glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase gene from Plasmodium falciparum. 793 9

We have expressed in bacteria the C-terminal part of Plasmodium yoelii merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP1) containing the two epidermal growth factor-like domains. The protein, either alone or fused to glutathione S-transferase, was highly effective as a vaccine and protected mice against challenge infection. Reduction and alkylation abolished the protection obtained with the protein. This shows for the first time the absolute requirement of the disulphide-bonded conformation for immunogenicity. In a short term experiment, mice were protected against a massive challenge. The immunity was effective at the time of merozoite release/reinvasion. Recombinant protein based on this part of MSP1 may be suitable as a vaccine against malaria.
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PMID:Immunization against malaria with a recombinant protein. 801 56

The primary structure of the merozoite surface protein 1 of Plasmodium vivax (PvMSP-1) revealed the existence of conserved and polymorphic blocks of the protein among different Plasmodium species. To characterize the naturally acquired IgG antibody responses to the PvMSP-1 molecule, the entire N-terminal portion of this protein was expressed as 10 overlapping glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins. The affinity-purified recombinant products were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot against the sera of malaria patients from the state of Rondonia, Brazil. We found that the majority of these sera did not contain IgG antibodies recognizing recombinant proteins expressing exclusively interspecies conserved blocks of the molecule. In contrast, a high proportion of these same sera reacted against recombinant products expressing interspecies polymorphic regions of this protein. The poor B cell immunogenicity of the interspecies conserved blocks of the PvMSP-1 molecule most likely reflects important and unknown structural or functional features of these regions.
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PMID:Characterization of naturally acquired human IgG responses against the N-terminal region of the merozoite surface protein 1 of Plasmodium vivax. 805 17

Baseline entomological surveillance was carried out in a rural area of The Gambia during the rainy season in 1988, one year before the implementation of a malaria control programme using insecticide-impregnated nets and targeted chemoprophylaxis in villages with a primary health care (PHC) system. Mosquito collections took place in 6 pairs of settlements each with untreated bed nets; within each pair there was a large PHC village with a resident village health worker (VHW) and traditional birth attendant (TBA) and a smaller non-PHC village without either a VHW or a TBA. The most common vectors in the study area were Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto and, to a lesser extent, An. arabiensis. These mosquitoes were found in appreciable numbers for at least 4 months of the year (geometric mean/bedroom/night = 32.5, 95% confidence interval 18.2-57.3). Numbers of mosquitoes collected in PHC villages or non-PHC villages were not significantly different. Greater numbers of mosquitoes were found in villages closer to the River Gambia than in those further away. Evidence for DDT resistance due to elevated glutathione S-transferase activity was found in one of the 12 villages, but there was no evidence of resistance to organophosphate or carbamate insecticides as suggested by the low esterase levels and carbamate sensitive acetylcholinesterase.
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PMID:A malaria control trial using insecticide-treated bed nets and targeted chemoprophylaxis in a rural area of The Gambia, west Africa. 3. Entomological characteristics of the study area. 821 5

A blood-stage malaria antigen comprising the C terminus of merozoite surface protein 1 fused to glutathione S-transferase, combined with an adjuvant formulation containing squalane, Tween 80, and pluronic L121 (AF), administered subcutaneously protected mice against death from a lethal Plasmodium yoelii infection. The protection induced by this antigen-adjuvant combination was compared with that induced by the antigen plus saponin in terms of survival from the lethal infection and clearance of parasitemia. The levels of gamma interferon and interleukin-4 in spleens were measured as indicators of Th1 and Th2 cell activation, and antibody classes and subclasses were determined by immunofluorescence. With a 10-micrograms dose of antigen and AF as adjuvant, all mice recovered, but with saponin as the adjuvant, there were only a few survivors. With 30 micrograms of antigen plus AF, the peak parasitemias were 10-fold lower than those with 10 micrograms; with saponin, survival was slightly improved. The levels of both gamma interferon and interleukin-4 rose more rapidly and to higher levels with AF as the adjuvant than with saponin, and the same was true for immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1), IgG2a, and IgG2b subclasses. Thus, in terms of both cytokine production and antibody levels, AF is a more potent adjuvant for a malaria vaccine than is saponin.
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PMID:Cytokines and antibody subclass associated with protective immunity against blood-stage malaria in mice vaccinated with the C terminus of merozoite surface protein 1 plus a novel adjuvant. 875 95

The major form of glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity from the mosquito Anopheles dirus (species B), a vector of malaria in Thailand has been purified 421-fold. It constituted approx. 20% of the total measured CDNB conjugating activity in the homogenate. This enzyme appeared as a single band of 25.0 +/- 0.26 kDa on SDS-PAGE and was kinetically characterized with 10 substrates and 4 inhibitors. The enzyme is capable of catalysing dehydrochlorination of 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis-(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT) in vitro at a rate of 4.4 nmol of 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis-(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDE) formation per mg protein. This is comparable to the rate of catalysis of the orthologous isoenzyme from An. gambiae reported previously. The IC50 plots of the inhibitor data (fractional velocity vs log [I]) for three of the inhibitors indicate the homogenous nature of this enzyme. However, inhibition by ethacrynic acid demonstrates more than a single affinity site for interaction. The six N-terminal amino acids of the purified enzyme are identical to a GST reported from Aedes aegypti, which was indicated to play a role in DDT-resistance in this species. The results suggest that the two enzymes may belong to the same class, however each possesses a different specificity.
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PMID:Purification and characterization of a major glutathione S-transferase from the mosquito Anopheles dirus (species B). 890 May 97


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