Conserved sequences of thrombospondin-related adhesive protein gene of Plasmodium vivax in clinical isolates from Korea

Abstract

Thrombospondin-related adhesive protein (TRAP) from Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) became one of the important vaccine candidates for malaria, because P. vivax TRAP (PvTRAP) is responsible for the sporozoite-host interactions. PvTRAP polymorphisms in the isolates from Republic of Korea (ROK) were analysed, setting the valuable baseline data for the future vaccine developments and clinical trials with PvTRAP, as a strong vaccine candidate. A total of 54 isolates were collected in 2010. PvTRAP genes from above isolates were amplified and sequenced, and the results were analysed and compared against Sal-1 strain. Sequencing analysis of 1424-bp-size PvTRAP PCR products revealed one major allelic type with six non-synonymous substitutions, where S81T, E95D, I121V and T127R substitutions were found in region II, and K371N and A425E substitutions from region IV. The ROK isolates revealed the limited sequence polymorphisms in PvTRAP in comparison with the reported isolates from other nations.