Genetic diversity and population structure of genes encoding vaccine candidate antigens of Plasmodium vivax

• Published in: Malaria journal Vol. 11; no. 1; p. 68
• Main Authors: Chenet, Stella M, Tapia, Lorena L, Escalante, Ananias A, Durand, Salomon, Lucas, Carmen, Bacon, David J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 14.03.2012; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Antigenic Variation - genetics; Antigenic Variation - immunology; Antigens; Antigens, Protozoan - genetics; Antigens, Protozoan - immunology; Asia; Causes of; Clinical trials; Colleges & universities; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Development and progression; DNA; Experiments; Genetic aspects; Haplotypes; Human subjects; Latin America; Life sciences; Malaria; Malaria vaccine; Malaria Vaccines - immunology; Molecular Sequence Data; Oceania; Phylogeography; Physiological aspects; Plasmodium vivax; Plasmodium vivax - genetics; Plasmodium vivax - immunology; Plasmodium vivax - isolation & purification; Polymorphism, Genetic - immunology; Prevention; Proteins; Vaccine candidates; Vaccines; Asia; Latin America; Oceania; United States; Peru
• ISSN: 1475-2875; 1475-2875
• DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-11-68

A major concern in malaria vaccine development is genetic polymorphisms typically observed among Plasmodium isolates in different geographical areas across the world. Highly polymorphic regions have been observed in Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax antigenic surface proteins such as Circumsporozoite protein (CSP), Duffy-binding protein (DBP), Merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP-1), Apical membrane antigen-1 (AMA-1) and Thrombospondin related anonymous protein (TRAP). Genetic variability was assessed in important polymorphic regions of various vaccine candidate antigens in P. vivax among 106 isolates from the Amazon Region of Loreto, Peru. In addition, genetic diversity determined in Peruvian isolates was compared to population studies from various geographical locations worldwide. The structured diversity found in P. vivax populations did not show a geographic pattern and haplotypes from all gene candidates were distributed worldwide. In addition, evidence of balancing selection was found in polymorphic regions of the trap, dbp and ama-1 genes. It is important to have a good representation of the haplotypes circulating worldwide when implementing a vaccine, regardless of the geographic region of deployment since selective pressure plays an important role in structuring antigen diversity.