Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Protocol for Plasmodium falciparum Infections in Mosquitoes and Infection Phenotype Determination
14:10

Protocol for Plasmodium falciparum Infections in Mosquitoes and Infection Phenotype Determination

Published on: July 4, 2007

Proof of intragenic recombination in Plasmodium falciparum

P J Kerr1, L C Ranford-Cartwright, D Walliker

  • 1Institute of Cell, Animal and Population Biology, University of Edinburgh, UK.

Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology
|August 1, 1994
PubMed

Insights

Recombination occurred in Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP-1) during mosquito passage. This study found novel MSP-1 alleles formed through meiosis in hybrid Plasmodium falciparum zygotes.

Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Parasitology

Background:

  • The merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP-1) of Plasmodium falciparum is crucial for malaria parasite invasion.
  • Understanding genetic recombination in Plasmodium falciparum is vital for developing effective malaria control strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate intragenic recombination in the Plasmodium falciparum MSP-1 gene.
  • To determine the mechanism and stage of recombination between different Plasmodium falciparum cloned lines.

Main Methods:

  • Crossed two cloned lines of Plasmodium falciparum (3D7 and HB3).
  • Passed the mixed clones through mosquitoes to generate progeny.
  • Utilized Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to analyze MSP-1 alleles in progeny.

Main Results:

  • A recombinant MSP-1 molecule containing sequences from both 3D7 and HB3 parent alleles was identified.
  • Recombinant molecules were not detected when artificial mixtures of blood stages were used.
  • Evidence suggests recombination occurred during meiosis.

Conclusions:

  • Intragenic recombination of the Plasmodium falciparum MSP-1 gene can occur during the sexual cycle in mosquitoes.
  • Meiosis in a hybrid Plasmodium falciparum zygote is the likely mechanism for generating novel MSP-1 alleles.

More Related Videos

Methods to Increase the Sensitivity of High Resolution Melting Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Genotyping in Malaria10:27

Methods to Increase the Sensitivity of High Resolution Melting Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Genotyping in Malaria

Published on: November 10, 2015

Understanding the Development of Compensatory Pathways in a Mutant Malaria Parasite Harbouring Hypomorphic Allele of Plant-Like Kinases09:13

Understanding the Development of Compensatory Pathways in a Mutant Malaria Parasite Harbouring Hypomorphic Allele of Plant-Like Kinases

Published on: November 22, 2024

Related Concept Videos

Conservative Site-specific Recombination and Phase Variation02:53

Conservative Site-specific Recombination and Phase Variation

Because the DNA segments are cut and reorganized in a direction-specific manner, site-specific recombination has emerged as an efficient genetic engineering technique. Flippase and Cyclization recombinases or Flp and Cre, respectively, are two members of the tyrosine recombinase family derived from bacteriophages, that are used to mediate site-specific DNA insertions, deletions, and targeted expression of proteins in mammalian cell lines.
The recognition sites for Cre recombinase called LoxP...
Exon Recombination02:32

Exon Recombination

The evolution of new genes is critical for speciation. Exon recombination, also known as exon shuffling or domain shuffling, is an important means of new gene formation. It is observed across vertebrates, invertebrates, and in some plants such as potatoes and sunflowers. During exon recombination, exons from the same or different genes recombine and produce new exon-intron combinations, which might evolve into new genes. 
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon has three reading...
Diversity of Protists II01:27

Diversity of Protists II

Alveolates are a group of organisms recognized by the presence of alveoli, which are cytoplasmic sacs located beneath the cell membrane. While their function remains uncertain, alveoli may help regulate water balance by controlling how much water enters and leaves the cell. In dinoflagellates, these structures may serve as armor plates. There are three major types of alveolates: ciliates, which move using cilia; dinoflagellates, which use flagella for movement; and apicomplexans, which are...
Malaria01:29

Malaria

Malaria pathogenesis in humans reflects a delicate interplay between parasite biology and host response. Clinical illness reflects a host’s immune response to the parasite’s asexual replication cycle, which is often asymptomatic in individuals with partial immunity. From the parasite's perspective, transmission between mosquito and human with minimal host pathology is evolutionarily advantageous. Among the six Plasmodium species infecting humans, P. falciparum and P. vivax dominate in global...