# name
Plasmodium vivax spleen-dependent genes
encode antigens associated with cytoadhesion and clinical
protection.

# metadata.dc.description.abstract[].value
The  most widely distributed human malaria parasite, causes severe
 clinical syndromes despite low peripheral blood parasitemia.
 This conundrum is further complicated as cytoadherence in the
 microvasculature is still a matter of investigations. Previous
 reports in " - ", another parasite species shown to infect
  humans, demonstrated that variant genes involved in
 cytoadherence were dependent on the spleen for their expression.
  Hence, using a global transcriptional analysis of parasites
                obtained from spleen-intact and splenectomized monkeys, we
                identified 67 " - " genes whose expression was spleen dependent.
                To determine their role in cytoadherence, two " - " transgenic
                lines expressing two variant proteins pertaining to VIR and
                Pv-FAM-D multigene families were used. Cytoadherence assays
                demonstrated specific binding to human spleen but not lung
                fibroblasts of the transgenic line expressing the VIR14 protein.
                To gain more insights, we expressed five " - " spleen-dependent
                genes as recombinant proteins, including members of three
                different multigene families (VIR, Pv-FAM-A, Pv-FAM-D), one
                membrane transporter (SECY), and one hypothetical protein
                (HYP1), and determined their immunogenicity and association with
                clinical protection in a prospective study of 383 children in
                Papua New Guinea. Results demonstrated that spleen-dependent
                antigens are immunogenic in natural infections and that
                antibodies to HYP1 are associated with clinical protection.
                These results suggest that the spleen plays a major role in
                expression of parasite proteins involved in cytoadherence and  can reveal antigens associated with clinical protection, thus
                prompting a paradigm shift in " - " biology toward deeper
                studies of the spleen during infections

# metadata.dc.relation.ispartof[].value
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United
States of America, 2020, vol 117, num 23

# metadata.dc.rights[].value
cc by-nc-nd (c) Fernández Becerra, Carmen et al, 2020

# metadata.dc.source[].value
Articles publicats en revistes (ISGlobal)

# metadata.dc.title[].value
Plasmodium vivax spleen-dependent genes
encode antigens associated with cytoadhesion and clinical
protection.