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

The C terminal region of a Trypanosoma cruzi ribosomal P protein, encoded by the lambda gt11 JL5 recombinant, defined a major antigenic determinant in chronic Chagas heart disease. Immunopurified anti-JL5 antibodies were tested for anti-human ribosome reactivity by immunoblotting. They recognized the parasite ribosomal P proteins and clearly reacted with the corresponding human P proteins. The peptide R-13, that comprises the 13 C terminal residues of the JL5 recombinant and defines the specificity shared between chronic Chagas heart disease anti-JL5 antibodies and the systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) anti-P antibodies, was used to study the specificity and the IgG subclass distribution of the anti-R-13 response by ELISA. The R-13 autoepitope is recognized mainly by sera from chagasic patients, but not by sera from malaria patients. Moreover, there was a significant correlation between anti-R-13 antibody levels and anti-T. cruzi antibody titres. The anti-R-13 response was mainly restricted to the IgG1 heavy chain isotype and correlated with the anti-T. cruzi isotype distribution.
 ...
PMID:Humoral autoimmune response to ribosomal P proteins in chronic Chagas heart disease. 189 22

The sporozoite form of Plasmodium falciparum displays on its surface the circumsporozoite (CS) protein. The central domain of this protein possesses a reiterated tetrapeptide sequence Asn-Ala-Asn-Pro (NANP), and greater than 90% of the sporozoite-specific antibodies obtained from individuals living in malaria endemic areas recognize epitopes within this repeat sequence. Considering the highly repetitive structure of this naturally occurring antigen and its immunodominance, we were interested in analyzing the structural diversity of antibodies that bind to the (NANP)3 sequence. Molecular characterization of immunoglobulin heavy and light chain mRNA was performed for five hybridomas that produce antibodies with binding specificity for the dodecapeptide (NANP)3. These hybridomas were produced in BALB/c mice by inoculation with whole P. falciparum sporozoites. Sequence analysis and Northern blotting showed that for heavy chain, three hybridomas used VH elements that belong to the VHIX family and two to the VHJ558 family. Four different V kappa subgroups were represented among the light chains. Different D and J kappa segments are also utilized, while four heavy chain gene rearrangements involved the JH4 segment. These results indicated that multiple VH-VL gene combinations can code for reactivity to the (NANP)3 sequence, demonstrating that the murine antibody response to this immunodominant region is structurally heterogeneous.
 ...
PMID:VH and VL region structure of antibodies that recognize the (NANP)3 dodecapeptide sequence in the circumsporozoite protein of Plasmodium falciparum. 212 76

Serum IgG concentration was lower in Jamaicans than in Nigerians. The maternalfoetal IgG ratio was also lower in Jamaican sera than in Nigerian sera. It is suggested that endemic malaria in Nigeria may be responsible for these differences. The higher IgM concentration in the Nigerian cord sera may be further evidence of this. Eighteen new cases of myeloma were detected in Jamaicans between August 1966 and May 1967. Based on Gm typing, only two of these showed evidence of mixed white ancestry. All the others had the typical Gm groups of Negroes. Similarly, only two patients out of a total of 17 with malignant lymphoma showed evidence of mixed white ancestry. Twelve of the patients with myeloma showed serum proteins of the IgG type, five were IgA, and one had only light chains in the serum. The majority of the patients had myeloma protein of the kappa type. The Gm typing suggested that six patients had myeloma protein of the gamma1 heavy chain subclass, and one patient had a gamma3 subclass heavy chain, the remainder belonging most likely to the gamma2 heavy chain subclass since gamma2 occurs about four times as frequently as gamma4.
 ...
PMID:Immunoglobulins in Jamaicans and Nigerians with immunogenetic typing of myeloma and lymphoma in Jamaicans. 419 93

In the present study, the genetic mechanisms responsible for generation of antibodies recognizing the dominant epitope within a synthetic peptide PS1CT3 were examined. PS1CT3 is a peptide model antigen containing residues 28-42 of the large protein of the surface antigen of hepatitis B virus as B epitope (designated PS1), and the known T-helper-cell epitope derived from the circumsporozoite protein of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum (designated CT3). To characterize the repertoire generated, the immunoglobulin heavy chain variable regions from IgM and IgG monoclonal antibodies against PS1CT3 were sequenced. Although all IgG monoclonal antibodies were directed against the immunodominant epitope, the genetic elements used were diverse. Comparison of the sequence of germ line precursor IgM to a mature IgG revealed that during maturation of the primary IgM response only the heavy chain fragment of the antibody molecule underwent somatic mutation.
 ...
PMID:B-cell responses to a peptide epitope: mutations in heavy chain alone lead to maturation of antibody responses. 1044 8

The rhesus macaque ( Macaca mulatta) has become a popular animal model for several human infectious diseases, such as HIV (modeled by SIV infection), hepatitis, and malaria. Investigation of T-cell responses in experimental infectious diseases in rhesus macaques has benefited from an expanding understanding of the diversity of macaque MHC class I heavy chains and the restriction of antigen presentation by macaque class I molecules. Here we add to this understanding with the first nucleotide sequences of M. mulatta beta(2)-microglobulin (beta(2)m) mRNA, including a portion of the 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR). In pairwise comparison, the beta(2)m protein of M. mulatta differs from human and chimpanzee beta(2)m by nine amino-acid substitutions (92% identity), and from Macaca fascicularis by one amino-acid difference in the signal peptide region (99% identity). Allelic variations were identified at one site in the 3'UTR. A structural analysis of human or chimpanzee beta(2)m and M. mulatta beta(2)m suggests that the differences cluster in three solvent-exposed clusters and do not involve contacts with the class I heavy chain. We predict that human and macaque beta(2)m should bind interchangeably with the class I heavy chains of the other species, and show that four M. mulatta class I alleles form cell surface complexes with human beta(2)m. Further, we predict that W6/32 (a monoclonal antibody that recognizes a combined epitope of some class I heavy chains and beta(2)m with a subtle species dependence) should bind similarly human or macaque class I molecules that are bound with beta(2)m of either species, supported by evidence of recognition of both heterologous and homologous complexes of macaque class I heavy chains. Our findings contribute to the growing understanding of rhesus macaque histocompatibility antigens and antigen presentation, and to the phylogeny of beta(2)m in primates.
 ...
PMID:Sequence of beta(2)-microglobulin from rhesus macaque ( Macaca mulatta) includes an allelic variation in the 3'-untranslated region. 1496 20

P25 and P28 proteins are essential for Plasmodium parasites to infect mosquitoes and are leading candidates for a transmission-blocking malaria vaccine. The Plasmodium vivax P25 is a triangular prism that could tile the parasite surface. The residues forming the triangle are conserved in P25 and P28 from all Plasmodium species. A cocrystal structure shows that a transmission-blocking antibody uses only its heavy chain to bind Pvs25 at a vertex of the triangle.
 ...
PMID:The essential mosquito-stage P25 and P28 proteins from Plasmodium form tile-like triangular prisms. 1632 7

Falciparum malaria is one of the most deadly and profound human health problems around the tropical world. Antimalarial drugs are now considered to be a powerful treatment; however, there are drugs currently being used that are resistant to Plasmodium falciparum parasites spreading in different parts of the world. Although the protective immune response against intraerythrocytic stages of the falciparum malaria parasite is still not fully understood, immune antibodies have been shown to be associated with reduced parasite prevalence. Therefore antibodies of the right specificity present in adequate concentrations and affinity are reasonably effective in providing protection. In the present study, VH (variable domain of heavy chain) and VL (variable domain of light chain) were isolated from human blood lymphocytes of P. falciparum in one person who had high serum titre to RESA (ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen). Equal amounts of VH and VL were assembled together with universal linker (G4S)3 to generate scFvs (single-chain variable fragments). The scFv antibodies were expressed with a phage system for the selection process. Exclusively, an expressed scFv against asynchronous culture of P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes was selected and characterized. Sequence analysis of selected scFv revealed that this clone could be classified into a VH family-derived germline gene (VH1) and Vkappa family segment (Vkappa1). Using an indirect immunofluorescence assay, we could show that soluble expressed scFv reacted with falciparum-infected erythrocytes. The results encourage the further study of scFvs for development as a potential immunotherapeutic agent.
 ...
PMID:Construction of a human functional single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody recognizing the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. 1639 42

Malaria is caused by the protozoan Plasmodium. The parasite Plasmodium completes its life cycle inside two hosts, i. e. human and mosquito. Among all known Plasmodium species, Plasmodium falciparum is known to cause maximum mortality. Various studies done on the mosquito stages of the parasite suggest that the proteins present on the parasite's surface are responsible for its survival under the adverse conditions prevailing in the mosquito midgut. When human blood containing Plasmodium gametocytes enters the mosquito gut, the gametocytes form gametes which then fuse to form zygotes. At this stage two closely related proteins, Pfs25 and Pfs28 are expressed on the surface of the parasite which continue to express up to the young oocyst stage. These proteins present on zygotes, ookinetes and young oocysts of Plasmodium are categorized in P25 and P28 families and are well known malaria vaccine candidate proteins. In this study, we have done sequence analysis, homology modeling and docking studies of a typical member of the P25 family of ookinete surface protein, i.e. Pfs25 from Plasmodium falciparum. We have built a 3D model of Pfs25 based on the X-ray crystallographic structure of Pvs25 from Plasmodium vivax. Also we have modeled the Fv region of the malaria transmission blocking monoclonal antibody 4B7. This antibody is the transmission blocking monoclonal antibody for Pfs25 protein. Pfs25 and 4B7 scFv (single chain variable fragment only) docking results indicate that EGF domain III of the Pfs25 protein interacts with the scFv region of modeled 4B7 antibody forming seven hydrogen bonds out of which six are formed with heavy chain of scFv region. Docking results of Pfs25 with gamma chain of laminin also suggest a possible role of Pfs25 protein in host parasite interaction.
 ...
PMID:Structure and mechanism of a transmission blocking vaccine candidate protein Pfs25 from P. falciparum: a molecular modeling and docking study. 1903 56

The host mechanisms responsible for protection against malaria remain poorly understood, with only a few protective genetic effects mapped in humans. Here, we characterize a host-specific genome-wide signature in whole-blood transcriptomes of Plasmodium falciparum-infected West African children and report a demonstration of genotype-by-infection interactions in vivo. Several associations involve transcripts sensitive to infection and implicate complement system, antigen processing and presentation, and T-cell activation (i.e., SLC39A8, C3AR1, FCGR3B, RAD21, RETN, LRRC25, SLC3A2, and TAPBP), including one association that validated a genome-wide association candidate gene (SCO1), implicating binding variation within a noncoding regulatory element. Gene expression profiles in mice infected with Plasmodium chabaudi revealed and validated similar responses and highlighted specific pathways and genes that are likely important responders in both hosts. These results suggest that host variation and its interplay with infection affect children's ability to cope with infection and suggest a polygenic model mounted at the transcriptional level for susceptibility.
 ...
PMID:Evidence for additive and interaction effects of host genotype and infection in malaria. 2294 51

Placental malaria is a major health problem for both pregnant women and their fetuses in malaria endemic regions. It is triggered by the accumulation of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes (IE) in the intervillous spaces of the placenta and is associated with foetal growth restriction and maternal anemia. IE accumulation is supported by the binding of the parasite-expressed protein VAR2CSA to placental chondroitin sulfate A (CSA). Defining specific CSA-binding epitopes of VAR2CSA, against which to target the immune response, is essential for the development of a vaccine aimed at blocking IE adhesion. However, the development of a VAR2CSA adhesion-blocking vaccine remains challenging due to (i) the large size of VAR2CSA and (ii) the extensive immune selection for polymorphisms and thereby non-neutralizing B-cell epitopes. Camelid heavy-chain-only antibodies (HcAbs) are known to target epitopes that are less immunogenic to classical IgG and, due to their small size and protruding antigen-binding loop, able to reach and recognize cryptic, conformational epitopes which are inaccessible to conventional antibodies. The variable heavy chain (VHH) domain is the antigen-binding site of camelid HcAbs, the so called Nanobody, which represents the smallest known (15 kDa) intact, native antigen-binding fragment. In this study, we have used the Nanobody technology, an approach new to malaria research, to generate small and functional antibody fragments recognizing unique epitopes broadly distributed on VAR2CSA.
 ...
PMID:Utilizing nanobody technology to target non-immunodominant domains of VAR2CSA. 2446 59


1 2 Next >>