Studies on mutation in virulence of Plasmodium falciparum

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Present situation of hampered malaria control will be overcome by the introduction of safe and effective vaccine. Much efforts are paid for the promotion of vaccine research. Some candidate peptide vaccines are now being tested at phase II stage. However, long lasting protective effect of the vaccine are not yet achieved. We have proposed that studies on live type vaccine using attenuated parasites may open some prospects to produce long lasting effect. In the present study, a rodent model was studied using virulent P. berghei(NK65) and its attenuated derivative P. berghei(XAT). By western blotting technique, it was found that 29KD antigenic molecule was deficient in XAT. The molecule was purified by O,Farrell's two dimentional electrophoresis and subjected to sequence analysis of amino acids. Fourty a.a. sequence was determined and corresponding cDNA is now being searched for. On the other hand, using sera from acute malaria cases, sera from inhabitants in hyper, meso, and hypoendemic areas are collected and they were used as polyclonal antibodies in comparative western blot antigen analyses. In acute malaria, 47KD molecule was always remarked and the molecule disappeared after treatment. On this line, antigenic molecule bands which work as marker epitopes of the virulence of P. falciparum(P.f.) are now being studied. Monoclonal antibodies to P. f. were produced and the reactivities to P. vivax(P.v.)less virulent than P.f.) were tested. P.f. and P.v. were differentiated by some monoclonal antibodies to P.f. Eventual aim of the present programme is to get functional antigenic molecules which control virulence of P.f. parasite using polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies.