RESUMO

We describe here the sequence of the circumsporozoite protein gene of the monkey malaria parasite Plasmodium brasilianum and show that the immunodominant repeat domain is the same as that of the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium malariae. The immunodominant epitope on the surface of sporozoites of a third species of human malaria parasite has, therefore, been identified. This genetic based data and the biological similarities between P. brasilianum and P. malariae support their putative zoonotic/anthroponotic relationship. We also show that an ape malaria parasite, Plasmodium reichenowi, and the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, have a similar relationship. The implications of these observations are discussed with respect to vaccine development.

Assuntos

Antígenos de Superfície/genética , Plasmodium/genética , Proteínas de Protozoários , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Antígenos de Protozoários/genética , Antígenos de Superfície/imunologia , Apicomplexa , Sequência de Bases , DNA Recombinante , Reservatórios de Doenças , Imunofluorescência , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Hibridização de Ácido Nucleico , Plasmodium falciparum/genética , Plasmodium malariae/genética , Plasmodium vivax/genética