Genetic Profiling of thePlasmodium falciparumPopulation Using Antigenic Molecular Markers

Abstract

About 50% of malaria infections in India are attributed to Plasmodium falciparum but relatively little is known about the genetic structure of the parasite populations. The molecular genotyping of the parasite populations by merozoite surface protein (msp1 and msp2) and glutamate-rich protein (glurp) genes identifies the existing parasite population in the regions which help in understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the parasite's drive for survival. This study reveals the genetic profile of the parasite population in selected regions across the country with varying degree of endemicity among them. We also report the prevalence of Pfcrt mutations in this parasite population to evaluate the pattern of drug resistance development in them.

Plasmodium falciparum Genetic Diversity in Bangladesh Does Not Suggest a Hypoendemic Population Structure

“…In southeast Asia, MOI of P. falciparum for hypoendemic regions ranges from 1.00 to 2.70. 9,16,17 A high level of heterozygosity (0.80-0.93) for all the three markers in Bangladesh was recorded in this study. This finding is higher than the heterozygosity range (0.51-0.65) reported earlier in the southeast Asia/Pacific region but quite comparable to some malaria-hyperendemic African countries (0.76-0.98).…”

“…Usually, the prevalence of polyclonal infections ranges from 20% to 30% for areas with hypoendemicity, 50% in hypo/mesoendemic areas to almost 100% in some holoendemic areas. 25 A positive association between MOI and endemicity of P. falciparum has been reported in several studies, 8,9,11,12,17,23 although some exceptions where high MOI was observed in hypoendemic areas are known. 14,19 In the present study, MOI was 1.51, 1.25, and 1.08 for msp1, msp2, and glurp, respectively.…”

“…[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] Since treatment with drugs of malaria patients is an integral part of malaria control and prevention strategy and the selected markers can be used as drug efficacy markers, knowing the baseline population structure of circulating parasites in an endemic country will aid in monitoring change in transmission pattern as well as efficacy of drugs that are in use. In this study, pretreatment patients were enrolled and genotyped to know parasite population structure and provide a baseline data for future reference.…”

“…High polymorphism in merozoite surface protein 1 (msp1), merozoite surface protein 2 (msp2), and glutamaterich protein (glurp) genes have been shown in genetic diversity studies in different malaria-endemic countries from Asia to Africa. [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] Large allelic polymorphism has been reported in the block 2 of the msp1, the central repetitive domain of the msp2, and region II of the glurp. In msp1, three distinct allelic families have been described: K1, MAD20, and RO33 while in msp2, two allelic families, FC27 and 3D7/IC, have been described.…”

Extensive diversity in the allelic frequency of Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface proteins and glutamate-rich protein in rural and urban settings of southwestern Nigeria

“…The P. falciparum merozoite surface proteins 1 and 2 ( msp - 1 and msp - 2) and glutamate-rich protein ( glurp) genes are significant molecular markers, highly effective in differentiating monoclonal from multiclonal infections within infecting parasite strains, including their utilization in discriminating recrudescence from re-infecting alleles [ 9 , 10 ]. They are also parasite proteins under consideration as potential vaccine candidates, either individually or in combination with other parasite proteins, because of their preponderance at various stages of the parasite life cycle [ 11 – 14 ].…”