2019 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Identifying malaria vaccine candidate antigens using genetic linkage analyses
| Project/Area Number |
19K07526
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| Research Institution | Nagasaki University |
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Principal Investigator |
カレトン リチャード 長崎大学, 熱帯医学研究所, 准教授 (10503782)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
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| Keywords | Malaria / LGS / Plasmodium vinckei / vaccine / WGS / genetics / crossing |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
We are undertaking a large-scale characterisation of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium vinckei at the phenotypic and genotypic level. Genetic crosses between strains that induce strain specific immunity in mice will be performed, and used in genetic linkage analyses to identify protective antigens.
Progress so far:
1)We have cloned, phenotyped and genotyped 10 new P. vinckei strains from 4 separate subspecies. WGS analysis has been performed on each of these. We have characterised the phenotypes of each of the strains in the mouse and in mosquitoes
2)Performed genetic crossing experiments in which we have successfully shown recombination between P. vinckei strains
3)We have performed the first genetic manipulations of P. vinckei
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
We have made rapid progress in the genetic and phenotypic characterisation of strains of P. vinckei, and have identified several selectable phenotypes that differentiate strains. We hope to use these for genetic crossing experiments, however, we have faced some difficulties with performing genetic crosses. We have proven recombination between strains of P. vinckei can occur, but numbers of progeny have been low. We have yet to identify the optimum transmission conditions for P. vinckei subspecies, but the experiments are ongoing.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
We now plan to continue genetic crossing experiments to determine which strains and sub-species are able to produce progeny, and what the optimal conditions for conducting crosses are.
Following this, we will conduct genetic crosses between parasites that differ in interesting selectable phenotypes, including those that induce strain specific immunity in mice. We will then perform Linkage Group Selection on these to identify targets of immunity.
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