Serotypic antigens of Plasmodium falciparum recognized by serotype-restricted inhibitory human sera

Immune sera from some Cambodian refugees contain functional serotypic antibodies that inhibit invasion of erythrocytes by the Camp strain but not by the FCR-3 strain of Plasmodium falciparum. Using a new assay, the "competitive heterologous antigen assay" (CHAA), the serotypic antibodies in a pool of three inhibitory sera were characterized by the antigens they precipitated. In the CHAA, immunoprecipitation of antigens by antibodies to common or cross-reacting antigenic determinants was blocked with excess heterologous unlabeled FCR-3 antigens before 3H-labeled Camp schizont and merozoite antigens were immunoprecipitated. The predominant Camp strain serotypic antigens revealed after electrophoresis and autoradiography were the major 195 Kd glycoprotein surface antigen (gp195) and its processed products at 150, 83, 73, and possibly 45 Kd. Additional serotypic antigens were identified at 180, 130, 65, 50, and 32 Kd. It is likely that one or more of these serotypic antigens is a target for the serotypic antibodies that inhibit invasion.