Development of the human immune response against the major surface protein (gp190) of Plasmodium falciparum

The 190-kilodalton glycoprotein (gp190) of Plasmodium falciparum, the precursor of the major surface proteins of merozoites, is considered a promising candidate for a blood stage malaria vaccine. DNA sequences specific for the gp190 of the two isolates K1 and MAD20 were subcloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The panel of fusion proteins obtained represents about 80% of the polymorphic sequences observed so far within various isolates of P. falciparum. Sera from individuals living in a malaria-endemic area of West Africa were tested in immunoblots against the gp190 fusion proteins, and antibody reactivity was mapped to defined regions of the gp190. Depending on the age of the individual and on the presence of parasites in the blood, distinct regions of gp190 were differentially recognized by the respective antibodies. Similarly, the analysis of sera from German patients with acute malaria revealed a distinct pattern. When grouped according to age and to parasitemia, the reactivity of the sera of people living in malaria-endemic areas may indicate a correlation between certain gp190 regions and protective immune response.