Genetic polymorphism of the thrombospondin-related apical merozoite protein (TRAMP) of Plasmodium knowlesi in Malaysia

• Published in: Parasitology research (1987) Vol. 122; no. 1; pp. 195 - 200
• Main Authors: Ng, Yee Ling, Lau, Yee Ling, Hamid, Mohd Hafizi Abdul, Jelip, Jenarun, Ooi, Choo Huck, Mudin, Rose Nani, Jaimin, Joel Judson, Fong, Mun Yik
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.01.2023; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Amino acid sequence; Amino acids; Analysis; Animals; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Clinical isolates; Cloning vectors; Gene polymorphism; Genetic aspects; Genetic polymorphisms; Genetic Variation; Genetic vectors; Haplotypes; Health aspects; Humans; Immunology; Malaria; Malaria - parasitology; Malaysia; Medical Microbiology; Merozoites - metabolism; Microbiology; Natural selection; Nucleotide sequence; Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium knowlesi; Plasmodium knowlesi - genetics; Plasmodium knowlesi - metabolism; Polymorphism; Polymorphism, Genetic; Protozoan Proteins - genetics; Protozoan Proteins - metabolism; Thrombospondin; Malaysia; Indonesia; Borneo; Haplotypes; Thrombospondin-related apical merozoite protein; Genetic polymorphism; Plasmodium knowlesi
• ISSN: 0932-0113; 1432-1955
• DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07716-z

  Plasmodium knowlesi is a simian malaria parasite that causes significant zoonotic infections in Southeast Asia, particularly in Malaysia. The Plasmodium thrombospondin-related apical merozoite protein (TRAMP) plays an essential role in the invasion of the parasite into its host erythrocyte. The present study investigated the genetic polymorphism and natural selection of the full length PkTRAMP from P. knowlesi clinical isolates from Malaysia. Blood samples ( n  = 40) were collected from P. knowlesi malaria patients from Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo. The PkTRAMP gene was amplified using PCR, followed by cloning into a plasmid vector and sequenced. Results showed that the nucleotide diversity of PkTRAMP was low (π: 0.009). Z -test results indicated negative (purifying) selection of PkTRAMP . The alignment of the deduced amino acid sequences of PkTRAMP of Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo revealed 38 dimorphic sites. A total of 27 haplotypes were identified from the amino acid sequence alignment. Haplotype analysis revealed that there was no clustering of PkTRAMP from Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo.