Motility and infectivity of Plasmodium berghei sporozoites expressing avian Plasmodium gallinaceum circumsporozoite protein

Avian and rodent malaria sporozoites selectively invade different vertebrate cell types, namely macrophages and hepatocytes, and develop in distantly related vector species. To investigate the role of the circumsporozoite (CS) protein in determining parasite survival in different vector species and vertebrate host cell types, we replaced the endogenous CS protein gene of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei with that of the avian parasite P. gallinaceum and control rodent parasite P. yoelii. In anopheline mosquitoes, P. berghei parasites carrying P. gallinaceum and rodent parasite P. yoelii CS protein gene developed into oocysts and sporozoites. Plasmodium gallinaceum CS expressing transgenic sporozoites, although motile, failed to invade mosquito salivary glands and to infect mice, which suggests that motility alone is not sufficient for invasion. Notably, a percentage of infected Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes showed melanotic encapsulation of late stage oocysts. This was not observed in control infections or in A. gambiae infections. These findings shed new light on the role of the CS protein in the interaction of the parasite with both the mosquito vector and the rodent host.

An anti-Chitinase malaria transmission-blocking single-chain antibody as an effector molecule for creating a Plasmodium falciparum-refractory mosquito

Indirect evidence has suggested the existence of a second chitinase gene, PgCHT2, in the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum. We have now identified PgCHT2 as the orthologue of the P. falciparum chitinase gene PfCHT1, a malaria transmission-blocking target. Computational phylogenetic evidence and biochemical and cell biological functional data support the hypothesis that an avian-related Plasmodium species was the ancestor of both P. falciparum and P. reichenowi, and this single lineage gave rise to another lineage of malaria parasites, including P. vivax, P. knowlesi, P. berghei, P. yoelii, and P. chabaudi. A recombinant PfCHT1/PgCHT2-neutralizing single-chain antibody significantly reduced P. falciparum and P. gallinaceum parasite transmission to mosquitoes. This single-chain antibody is the first anti-P. falciparum effector molecule to be validated for making a malaria transmission-refractory transgenic Anopheles species mosquito. P. gallinaceum is a relevant animal model that facilitates a mechanistic understanding of P. falciparum invasion of the mosquito midgut.

Orthologous gene sequences of merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1) from Plasmodium reichenowi and P. gallinaceum confirm an ancient divergence of P. falciparum alleles

Merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP 1) of Plasmodium falciparum has a major allelic dimorphism in the majority of its sequence, the origin and significance of which is obscure. Here, the cloning and sequencing of the msp1 gene from P. reichenowi (a chimpanzee parasite that is the nearest relative of P. falciparum) and P. gallinaceum (a malaria parasite of birds) is reported. P. reichenowi msp1 is most closely related to one allelic type (K1) of P. falciparum. The other P. falciparum major allelic type (MAD20) is very divergent from these sequences, although not as divergent as msp1 of P. gallinaceum. Assuming a date of 6 million years ago (mya) for the divergence of the P. falciparum K1 and the P. reichenowi msp1 genes (on the basis of previous estimates for these parasite species as well as host divergence times), the most recent common ancestor of the dimorphic region of msp1 would date to approximately 27mya. Thus, the P. falciparum msp1 dimorphism is confirmed as one of the oldest polymorphisms known with the exception of self-incompatibility S genes in Solanaceae. In contrast with the major allelic dimorphism, the polymorphisms present in the relatively conserved C terminus of P. falciparum msp1 appear to have arisen since the divergence of the P. falciparum and P. reichenowi msp1 genes.

3' UTR signals necessary for expression of the Plasmodium gallinaceum ookinete protein, Pgs28, share similarities with those of yeast and plants

During metazoan development, 3' UTR signals mediate the time and place of gene expression. For protozoan Plasmodium parasites, the formation of ookinetes from gametes in the mosquito midgut is an analogous developmental process. Previous studies of the 3' UTR signals necessary for expression of Pgs28, the major surface protein of Plasmodium gallinaceum ookinetes, suggested that a 3' UTR T-rich region and DNA sequences containing an ATTAAA eukaryotic polyadenylation consensus motif were necessary for its expression. During metazoan development, U-rich elements may function in conjunction with eukaryotic polyadenylation consensus signals to mediate developmental protein expression. To define whether the putative Plasmodium elements were mediators of Pgs28 expression mutations of these nucleotide sequences were made in plasmid constructs. The effect of the mutations on Pgs28 expression was tested by the transient gene transfection of sexual stage P. gallinaceum parasites. These studies reveal that two different mutations of the ATTAAA motif, which alter gene expression in higher eukaryotes and yeast, do not alter the expression of Pgs28. However, the U-rich element, adjacent nucleotides UUUACAAAAUUGUUUUAACU and downstream nucleotides UAUAUAAAA are able to mediate expression to varying degrees. The organization and overlapping function of these elements appears to more closely resemble that of yeasts or plants than those of metazoans.

The MB2 gene family of Plasmodium species has a unique combination of S1 and GTP-binding domains

Background

Identification and characterization of novel Plasmodium gene families is necessary for developing new anti-malarial therapeutics. The products of the Plasmodium falciparum gene, MB2, were shown previously to have a stage-specific pattern of subcellular localization and proteolytic processing.

Results

Genes homologous to MB2 were identified in five additional parasite species, P. knowlesi, P. gallinaceum, P. berghei, P. yoelii, and P. chabaudi. Sequence comparisons among the MB2 gene products reveal amino acid conservation of structural features, including putative S1 and GTP-binding domains, and putative signal peptides and nuclear localization signals.

Conclusions

The combination of domains is unique to this gene family and indicates that MB2 genes comprise a novel family and therefore may be a good target for drug development.

PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF AN ANTICIRCUMSPOROZOITE DNA VACCINE TRIAL FOR PROTECTION AGAINST AVIAN MALARIA IN CAPTIVE AFRICAN BLACK-FOOTED PENGUINS (SPHENISCUS DEMERSUS)

Captive juvenile African black-footed penguins (Spheniscus demersus) housed in an outdoor enclosure at the Baltimore Zoo have an average 50% mortality from avian malarial (Plasmodium sp.) infection each year without intense monitoring for disease and chemotherapeutic intervention. During the 1996 malaria transmission season, the safety and efficacy of an anti-circumsporozoite (CSP) DNA vaccine encoding the Plasmodium gallinaceum CSP protein against P. relictum were studied. The goal was to reduce clinical disease and death without initiating sterile immunity after release into an area with stable, endemic avian malaria. The birds were monitored for adverse clinical signs associated with vaccination, the stimulation of an anti-CSP antibody response, and protection afforded by the vaccine. The presence of P. relictum in trapped culicine mosquitoes within the penguin enclosure was monitored to assess parasite pressure. Among the vaccinated penguins, the parasitemia rate dropped from approximately 50% to approximately 17% despite intense parasite pressure, as determined by mosquito infection rate. During the year of the vaccine trial, no mortalities due to malaria occurred and no undesirable vaccination side effects occurred. This is the first trial of an antimalarial vaccine in a captive penguin colony.

A targeted approach to the identification of candidate genes determining susceptibility to Plasmodium gallinaceum in Aedes aegypti

The malaria parasite, Plasmodium, has evolved an intricate life cycle that includes stages specific to a mosquito vector and to the vertebrate host. The mosquito midgut represents the first barrier Plasmodium parasites encounter following their ingestion with a blood meal from an infected vertebrate. Elucidation of the molecular interaction between the parasite and the mosquito could help identify novel approaches to preventing parasite development and subsequent transmission to vertebrates. We have used an integrated Bulked Segregant Analysis-Differential Display (BSA-DD) approach to target genes expressed that are in the midgut and located within two genome regions involved in determining susceptibility to P. gallinaceum in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. A total of twenty-two genes were identified and characterized, including five genes with no homologues in public sequence databases. Eight of these genes were mapped genetically to intervals on chromosome 2 that contain two quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that determine susceptibility to infection by P. gallinaceum. Expression analysis revealed several expression patterns, and ten genes were specifically or preferentially expressed in the midgut of adult females. Real-time PCR quantification of expression with respect to the time of blood meal ingestion and infection status in mosquito strains permissive and refractory for malaria revealed a differential expression pattern for seven genes. These represent candidate genes that may influence the ability of the mosquito vector to support the development of Plasmodium parasites. Here we describe their isolation and discuss their putative roles in parasite-mosquito interactions and their use as potential targets in strategies designed to block transmission of malaria.

Linker scanning mutagenesis of the Plasmodium gallinaceum sexual stage specific gene pgs28 reveals a novel downstream cis-control element

Protozoan parasites undergo complex life cycles that depend on regulated gene expression. However, limited studies on gene regulation in these parasites have repeatedly shown characteristics different from other eukaryotes. Within the Apicomplexa family, little is known about the mechanism of gene expression and regulation in Plasmodium spp. We have been investigating the cis-elements that control basal expression of a sexual stage specific gene in Plasmodium gallinaceum. Previously, we identified by 5' deletion analysis of a reporter construct that the 333bp upstream of the translational start site of pgs28 is sufficient for basal expression, and that the sequence between -333 and 316bp is necessary for such expression. In this report, we identified by linker scanning mutagenesis an 8-bp sequence that is essential for pgs28 transgene expression. This sequence is a target of sequence-specific nuclear factors. Primer extension studies demonstrate that, interestingly, the endogenous pgs28 transcript has two 5' ends, at -65 and +1. We suggest that this 8-bp sequence, CAGACAGC that is situated at +24 to +31 (with respect to the proximal start site), is a novel downstream promoter element in P. gallinaceum that appears to function independently of a TATA box or an Inr element.

Dynamics of molecular markers linked to the resistance loci in a mosquito-Plasmodium system

Models on the evolution of resistance to parasitism generally assume fitness tradeoffs between the costs of being parasitized and the costs associated with resistance. This study tested this assumption using the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti and malaria parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum system. Experimental mosquito populations were created by mixing susceptible and resistant strains in equal proportions, and then the dynamics of markers linked to loci for Plasmodium resistance and other unlinked neutral markers were determined over 12 generations. We found that when the mixed population was maintained under parasite-free conditions, the frequencies of alleles specific to the susceptible strain at markers closely linked to the loci for resistance (QTL markers) as well as other unlinked markers increased significantly in the first generation and then fluctuated around equilibrium frequencies for all six markers. However, when the mixed population was exposed to an infected blood meal every generation, allele frequencies at the QTL markers for resistance were not significantly changed. Small population size caused significant random fluctuations of allele frequencies at all marker loci. Consistent allele frequency changes in the QTL markers and other unlinked markers suggest that the reduced fitness in the resistant population has a genome-wide effect on the genetic makeup of the mixed population. Continuous exposure to parasites promoted the maintenance of alleles from the resistant Moyo-R strain in the mixed population. The results are discussed in relation to the proposed malaria control strategy through genetic disruption of vector competence.

The signal sequence and C-terminal hydrophobic domain are required for localization of the sexual stage antigen pgs28 to the surface of P. gallinaceum ookinetes

The Pgs28 protein is a major surface antigen of the sexual stages of Plasmodium gallinaceum the zygotes and the ookinetes. The protein contains conserved motifs, namely an N-terminal signal sequence, four epidermal growth factor-like repeats and a C-terminal hydrophobic domain that serves as a signal for glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)--anchor modification. In this study, we define the protein motifs required for the surface localization of Pgs28 in ookinetes. using transient transfection combined with immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. Pgs28 fused to the green fluorescent protein (Pgs28-GFP) is expressed in zygotes, intermediate retort forms and ookinetes. Mutational analyses of Pgs28 coding regions reveal that deletions of the signal sequence and the C-terminal domain result in intracellular retention of the fusion protein. Therefore, the signal sequence and C-terminal domain are required for cell surface localization. Additionally, the Pgs28-GFP fusion proteins are shed from the surface of live ookinetes, suggesting that Pgs28 may be involved in interactions with the cells of the mosquito midgut or during motility.

Chitinases of the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum, a class of enzymes necessary for parasite invasion of the mosquito midgut

The Plasmodium ookinete produces chitinolytic activity that allows the parasite to penetrate the chitin-containing peritrophic matrix surrounding the blood meal in the mosquito midgut. Since the peritrophic matrix is a physical barrier that the parasite must cross to invade the mosquito, and the presence of allosamidin, a chitinase inhibitor, in a blood meal prevents the parasite from invading the midgut epithelium, chitinases (3.2.1.14) are potential targets of malaria parasite transmission-blocking interventions. We have purified a chitinase of the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum and cloned the gene, PgCHT1, encoding it. PgCHT1 encodes catalytic and substrate-binding sites characteristic of family 18 glycohydrolases. Expressed in Escherichia coli strain AD494 (DE3), recombinant PgCHT1 was found to hydrolyze polymeric chitin, native chitin oligosaccharides, and 4-methylumbelliferone derivatives of chitin oligosaccharides. Allosamidin inhibited recombinant PgCHT1 with an IC(50) of 7 microM and differentially inhibited two chromatographically separable P. gallinaceum ookinete-produced chitinase activities with IC(50) values of 7 and 12 microM, respectively. These two chitinase activities also had different pH activity profiles. These data suggest that the P. gallinaceum ookinete uses products of more than one chitinase gene to initiate mosquito midgut invasion.

Virus-expressed, recombinant single-chain antibody blocks sporozoite infection of salivary glands in Plasmodium gallinaceum-infected Aedes aegypti

Transgenic mosquitoes resistant to malaria parasites are being developed to test the hypothesis that they may be used to control disease transmission. We have developed an effector portion of an antiparasite gene that can be used to test malaria resistance in transgenic mosquitoes. Mouse monoclonal antibodies that recognize the circumsporozoite protein of Plasmodium gallinaceum can block sporozoite invasion of Aedes aegypti salivary glands. An anti-circumsporozoite monoclonal antibody, N2H6D5, whose corresponding heavy- and light-chain gene variable regions were engineered as a single-chain antibody construct, binds to P. gallinaceum sporozoites and prevents infection of Ae. aegypti salivary glands when expressed from a Sindbis virus. Mean intensities of sporozoite infections of salivary glands in mosquitoes expressing N2scFv were reduced as much as 99.9% when compared to controls.

3' UTR elements enhance expression of Pgs28, an ookinete protein of Plasmodium gallinaceum

In Plasmodium parasites the fusion of gametes to form a fertilized zygote and morphogenesis into the motile ookinete are critical developmental stages in the parasite's complex life cycle. In analogous developmental stages of metazoan organisms 3' gene flanking regions are critical in the regulation of gene expression. To determine whether these mechanisms are conserved in the protozoan parasite we studied the 3' gene flanking elements necessary for the expression of Pgs28, the major surface protein of mature zygotes and ookinetes of the chicken malaria Plasmodium gallinaceum. The DNA sequence of the pgs28 3' gene flanking region contains 7 eukaryotic polyadenylation consensus signals (AATAAA/ATTAAA). An unusual 82% T-rich region is located 55 nucleotides upstream of the fifth polyadenylation signal (ATTAAA). The pgs28 mRNA terminates approximately 20 nucleotides from the polyadenylation signal in a poly (A) tail. To determine whether the T-rich region and polyadenylation signals were necessary for Pgs28 protein expression, sexual stage parasites were transfected with plasmids containing deletions of these elements utilizing firefly luciferase (LUC) and beta-glucuronidase (GUS) as markers of transient gene transfection. The parasites were allowed to develop in vitro to the ookinete stage and assayed for enzymatic activity. Cells transfected with plasmids containing deletions of the T-rich region or fifth eukaryotic polyadenylation consensus signal expressed 89 and 92%, less enzymatic activity respectively than those transfected with the full length pgs28 3' gene flanking region. The U-rich element and fifth eukaryotic polyadenylation consensus sequence within the pgs28 3' UTR are therefore necessary for Pgs28 protein expression.

Controlling malaria transmission with genetically-engineered, Plasmodium-resistant mosquitoes: milestones in a model system

We are developing transgenic mosquitoes resistant to malaria parasites to test the hypothesis that genetically-engineered mosquitoes can be used to block the transmission of the parasites. We are developing and testing many of the necessary methodologies with the avian malaria parasite, Plasmodium gallinaceum, and its laboratory vector, Aedes aegypti, in anticipation of engaging the technical challenges presented by the malaria parasite, P. falciparum, and its major African vector, Anopheles gambiae. Transformation technology will be used to insert into the mosquito a synthetic gene for resistance to P. gallinaceum. The resistance gene will consist of a promoter of a mosquito gene controlling the expression of an effector protein that interferes with parasite development and/or infectivity. Mosquito genes whose promoter sequences are capable of sex- and tissue-specific expression of exogenous coding sequences have been identified, and stable transformation of the mosquito has been developed. We now are developing the expressed effector portion of the synthetic gene that will interfere with the transmission of the parasites. Mouse monoclonal antibodies that recognize the circumsporozoite protein of P. gallinaceum block sporozoite invasion of mosquito salivary glands, as well as abrogate the infectivity of sporozoites to a vertebrate host, the chicken, Gallus gallus, and block sporozoite invasion and development in susceptible cell lines in vitro. Using the genes encoding these antibodies, we propose to clone and express single-chain antibody constructs (scFv) that will serve as the effector portion of the gene that interferes with transmission of P. gallinaceum sporozoites.

Targeted identification of markers linked to malaria and filarioid nematode parasite resistance genes in the mosquito Aedes aegypti

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) have been identified for competence of the mosquito Aedes aegypti to transmit the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum and the human filarial parasite Brugia malayi. Efforts towards the map-based cloning of the associated genes are limited by the availability of genetic markers for fine-scale mapping of the QTL positions. Two F2 mosquito populations were subjected to bulked segregant analysis to identify random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR fragments linked with the major QTL determining susceptibility to both parasites. Individual mosquitoes for the bulks were selected on the basis of their genotypes at restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) loci tightly linked with the QTL. Pool-positive RAPD fragments were cloned and evaluated as RFLP markers. Of the 62 RAPD/RFLP fragments examined, 10 represented low-copy number sequences. Five of these clones were linked with the major QTL for P. gallinaceum susceptibility (pgs1), of which one clone mapped within the flanking markers that define the QTL interval. The remaining five clones were linked with the major QTL for B. malayi susceptibility (fsb1), and again one clone mapped within the flanking markers that define the QTL interval. In addition, nine RAPD/RFLP fragments were isolated that seem to be of non-mosquito origin.

Cloning and cross-species comparison of the thrombospondin-related anonymous protein (TRAP) gene from Plasmodium knowlesi, Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium gallinaceum

To examine the structure of the Plasmodium sporozoite micronemal protein, thrombospondin-related anonymous protein (TRAP) we have isolated TRAP genes from three species of Plasmodium: P. gallinaceum (PgTRAP), P. knowlesi (PkTRAP) and P. vivax (PvTRAP). Thus it is now possible to compare the TRAP gene from a total of six species of Plasmodium. The overall structure of TRAP is conserved in all species; specifically, an amino-terminal A-domain similar to magnesium-binding domains of mammalian integrins; a thrombospondin-like sulfatide-binding domain similar to region II in Plasmodium circumsporozoite protein; an acidic asparagine/proline-rich repeat region; a trans-membrane domain and a short acidic cytoplasmic region with a highly conserved carboxy terminus. The overall structure of TRAP from P. gallinaceum and P. falciparum (PfTRAP) is conserved and phylogenetic analysis suggests a monophyletic relationship of avian P. gallinaceum and human P. falciparum. Comparison of the amino acid sequences of the A-domain of PgTRAP and PfTRAP indicates a more rapid divergence of this domain with respect to the rest of the protein in these two species. The structural differences of PgTRAP and PfTRAP may relate to the distinct invasion pathways, macrophage and endothelial cell invasion of P. gallinaceum sporozoites versus hepatocyte invasion of P. falciparum.

A PCR test for avian malaria in Hawaiian birds

The decline of native Hawaiian forest birds since European contact is attributed to factors ranging from habitat destruction to interactions with introduced species. Remaining populations of Hawaiian honeycreepers (Fringillidae: Drepanidinae) are most abundant and diverse in high elevation refuges above the normal range of disease-carrying mosquitoes. Challenge experiments suggest that honeycreepers are highly susceptible to avian malaria (Plasmodium sp.) but resistance exists in some species. In order to detect low levels of malarial infection and quantify prevalence of Plasmodium in high elevation natural populations of Hawaiian birds, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based diagnostic test was developed that identifies rRNA genes of Plasmodium in avian blood samples. Quantitative competitive PCR (QC-PCR) experiments indicate that the detection limit of our test is an order of magnitude greater than that reported for human malaria DNA blot tests. Compared with standard histological methods, the PCR test detected a higher prevalence of diseased birds at mid-elevations. Malaria was detected in three species of native birds living in a high elevation wildlife refuge on the island of Hawaii and in four species from Maui. Our results show that avian malaria is more widespread in Hawaiian forests than previously thought, a finding that has important conservation implications for these threatened species.

Plasmodium: a quantitative molecular assay for detection of sporogonic-stage malaria parasites

We present a molecular assay to detect malaria parasites during sporogonic development in the mosquito host. Specific primers for Plasmodium-specific small-subunit ribosomal RNA sequences not present in mosquito RNA were used in a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. A synthetic RNA quantitative competitor was made which included targets for two primers and a target sequence for a hybridization probe which is also present in the natural parasite ribosome. The heterobifunctional Tth polymerase was used to carry out both reverse transcription and DNA-dependent polymerase chain reaction in a single reaction tube. Ookinetes and sporozoites, the stages from the beginning and end of sporogonic development, respectively, were both recognized in the assay. The assay was calibrated for quantitation of sporozoites by making a standard curve with counted sporozoites. The linear range of the calibrated assay allowed accurate quantitation of parasite number over at least two orders of magnitude, from 10 to 1000 sporozoites, in each RT-PCR reaction.

Maternal inheritance of extrachromosomal DNA in malaria parasites

Plasmodium falciparum has two extrachromosomal genomes, the mitochondrial 6-kb DNA element and the 35-kb circular DNA. The mitochondrial gene cytochrome b on the 6-kb element has been shown to be inherited uniparentally. In order to ascertain whether the route is maternal or paternal we have examined preparations of male and female gametes of the closely related Plasmodium gallinaceum for the presence of extrachromosomal DNA. DNA from purified preparations of gametes was hybridised to probes for both the 6-kb and 35-kb extrachromosomal genomes. Both probes hybridised to the preparation of Plasmodium gallinaceum female gametes but not to that of the males. We conclude that the extrachromosomal DNAs of malaria parasites are transmitted maternally.

Transfection of the malaria parasite and expression of firefly luciferase

The goal of this work is to develop a method for the functional analysis of malaria genes using the method of DNA transfection. We have developed a transient transfection vector by constructing a chimeric gene in which the firefly luciferase gene was inserted in frame into the coding region of the pgs28 gene of Plasmodium gallinaceum. This plasmid DNA was introduced into P. gallinaceum gametes and fertilized zygotes by electroporation, and luciferase expression was assayed after 24 hr. This report of successful introduction and expression of a foreign gene in a malaria parasite demonstrates the feasibility of this approach to developing methods for the functional analysis of parasite genes.

Sequence identification of cytochrome b in Plasmodium gallinaceum

We have identified a gene that encodes the polypeptide cytochrome b in the avian malarial parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum. The gene containing the open reading frame was found to be located on a 6.2-kilobase multimeric extrachromosomal element. The amino acid translation from this gene demonstrated significant similarities to cytochrome b sequences from yeast, mammal, and fungus genomes. We present evidence that the P. gallinaceum cytochrome b transcript is part of a larger primary transcript from the element that is subsequently processed. The message for P. gallinaceum cytochrome b was found to be 1.2 kilobases in size. This is the first report identifying a mitochondrial nucleic acid sequence in malaria-causing organisms and suggests that a functional cytochrome system may exist in these parasites.

Characterization of a conserved extrachromosomal element isolated from the avian malarial parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum

We have identified a conserved, repeated, and highly transcribed DNA element from the avian malarial parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum. The element produced multiple transcripts in both zygotes and asexual blood stages of this parasite. It was found to be highly conserved in all of five malarial species tested and hybridized at reduced stringency to other members of the phylum Apicomplexa, including the genera Babesia, Eimeria, Toxoplasma, and Theileria. The copy number of the element was about 15, and it had a circularly permuted restriction map with a repeat unit length of about 6.2 kilobases. It could be separated from the main genomic DNA by using sucrose gradients and agarose gels, and it migrated separately from the recognized Plasmodium chromosomes on pulse-field gels. In the accompanying paper (S. M. Aldritt, J. T. Joseph, and D. F. Wirth, Mol. Cell. Biol. 9:3614-3620, 1989), evidence is presented that element contains the mitochondrial genes for the protein cytochrome b and a fragment of the large rRNA. We postulate that this element is an episome in the mitochondria of the obligate parasites belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa.

Comparison of the primary structure of the 25 kDa ookinete surface antigens of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium gallinaceum reveal six conserved regions

The gene encoding the 25 kDa ookinete surface antigen (Pgs25) of Plasmodium gallinaceum has been cloned using an oligonucleotide probe directed against one of the EGF-like domains of the P. falciparum 25 kDa ookinete surface antigen (Pfs25). The Pgs25 gene codes for a polypeptide of 215 amino acids, two amino residues less than Pfs25. The deduced amino acid sequence contains a putative signal sequence at the amino-terminus, four tandemly repeated EGF-like domains, and a hydrophobic region at the carboxyl-terminus. By comparing Pgs25 with Pfs25, six conserved regions, consisting of six or more amino acid residues, have been identified. Most of the conserved regions are outside EGF-like core consensus sequences. The most striking conservation is the spacing of the cysteines.