Abnormal display of PfEMP-1 on erythrocytes carrying haemoglobin C may protect against malaria

Rick M. Fairhurst, Dror I. Baruch, Nathaniel J. Brittain, Graciela R. Ostera, John S. Wallach, Holly L. Hoang, Karen Hayton, Aldiouma Guindo, Morris O. Makobongo, Owen M. Schwartz, Anatole Tounkara, Ogobara K. Doumbo, Dapa A. Diallo, Hisashi Fujioka, May Ho and Thomas E. Wellems ()
Additional contact information
Rick M. Fairhurst: Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research
Dror I. Baruch: Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research
Nathaniel J. Brittain: Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research
Graciela R. Ostera: Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research
John S. Wallach: Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research
Holly L. Hoang: University of Calgary
Karen Hayton: Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research
Aldiouma Guindo: University of Bamako
Morris O. Makobongo: Malaria Vaccine Development Branch
Owen M. Schwartz: National Institutes of Health
Anatole Tounkara: Ministry of Health
Ogobara K. Doumbo: University of Bamako
Dapa A. Diallo: University of Bamako
Hisashi Fujioka: Case Western Reserve University
May Ho: University of Calgary
Thomas E. Wellems: Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research

Nature, 2005, vol. 435, issue 7045, 1117-1121

Abstract: Resisting malaria Long thought to have been evolutionarily selected by malaria, the mutation known as haemoglobin C was only recently shown in field studies to protect children against the disease in West Africa. A mechanism for this protection has now been worked out. In red blood cells containing normal haemoglobin A, malaria parasites generate finely distributed surface knobs with adhesion proteins (PfEMP-1) enabling infected cells to attach to blood vessel walls and avoid destruction by the spleen. Haemoglobin C impairs this attachment by causing abnormal distributions of knobs and reduced display of PfEMP-1. The cover shows a biconcave uninfected red blood cell, typical knobs on an infected normal red blood cell, and abnormal knobs on an infected cell containing haemoglobin C. (SEM by Graciela R. Ostera and Elizabeth Fischer.)

Date: 2005
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DOI: 10.1038/nature03631

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