Variation in p126, a parasitophorous vacuole antigen of Plasmodium falciparum

We describe a cDNA clone expressing part of p126, a parasitophorous vacuole antigen of Plasmodium falciparum that is processed to smaller fragments about the time of schizont rupture. The amino acid sequence includes determinants that are antigenic during the course of infection. The sequence contains a string of serine residues but no other repetitive elements. Comparison of the sequence to a previously published sequence demonstrates conserved and variable sequence elements. The genomic context of the single copy gene is conserved in six different isolates. p126 is shown to be identical to Pf140, an antigen previously demonstrated to partially protect Saimiri monkeys against P. falciparum infection.