Clinical proteomics of the neglected human malarial parasite Plasmodium vivax

PLoS One. 2011;6(10):e26623. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026623. Epub 2011 Oct 20.

Abstract

Recent reports highlight the severity and the morbidity of disease caused by the long neglected malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax. Due to inherent difficulties in the laboratory-propagation of P. vivax, the biology of this parasite has not been adequately explored. While the proteome of P. falciparum, the causative agent of cerebral malaria, has been extensively explored from several sources, there is limited information on the proteome of P. vivax. We have, for the first time, examined the proteome of P. vivax isolated directly from patients without adaptation to laboratory conditions. We have identified 153 proteins from clinical P. vivax, majority of which do not show homology to any previously known gene products. We also report 29 new proteins that were found to be expressed in P. vivax for the first time. In addition, several proteins previously implicated as anti-malarial targets, were also found in our analysis. Most importantly, we found several unique proteins expressed by P. vivax.This study is an important step in providing insight into physiology of the parasite under clinical settings.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Humans
  • Life Cycle Stages
  • Malaria / blood
  • Malaria / parasitology*
  • Malaria / prevention & control
  • Malaria Vaccines / immunology
  • Plasmodium vivax / drug effects
  • Plasmodium vivax / growth & development
  • Plasmodium vivax / immunology
  • Plasmodium vivax / metabolism*
  • Protein Interaction Maps
  • Proteomics*
  • Protozoan Proteins / chemistry
  • Protozoan Proteins / genetics
  • Protozoan Proteins / metabolism*
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Transcriptome

Substances

  • Malaria Vaccines
  • Protozoan Proteins