Identifying malaria vaccine candidate antigens using genetic linkage analyses

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K07526
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 49040:Parasitology-related
• Research Institution: Ehime University (2020-2021); Nagasaki University (2019)
• Principal Investigator: Culleton Richard 愛媛大学, プロテオサイエンスセンター, 教授 (10503782)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: Malaria / Genetics / Genomics

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have generated a comprehensive genetic resource for P. vinckei comprising of five reference-quality genomes, one for each of its subspecies, blood-stage RNA sequencing data for five P. vinckei isolates, and genotypes and growth phenotypes for ten isolates. Additionally, we sequenced seven isolates of the RMP species Plasmodium chabaudi and Plasmodium yoelii, thus extending genotypic information for four additional subspecies enabling a re-evaluation of the genotypic diversity and evolutionary history of RMPs. The subspecies from the highland forests of Katanga, P. v. vinckei, has a uniquely smaller genome, a reduced multigene family repertoire and is also amenable to transfection making it an ideal parasite for reverse genetics. We also show that P. vinckei parasites are amenable to genetic crosses.

Free Research Field

Parasitology

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

Plasmodium vinckei isolates display a large degree of phenotypic and genotypic diversity and could serve as a resource to study parasite virulence and immunogenicity. Amenability to genetic crossing and transfection make them also suitable for classical and functional genetics to study malaria.