Summary: © 2005 Nature Publishing Group
A var gene promoter controls allelic exclusion of
virulence genes in Plasmodium falciparum malaria
Till S. Voss1
, Julie Healer1
, Allison J. Marty1,2
, Michael F. Duffy3
, Jennifer K. Thompson1
, James G. Beeson1
,
John C. Reeder4
, Brendan S. Crabb1
& Alan F. Cowman1
Mono-allelic expression of gene families is used by many organ-
isms to mediate phenotypic variation of surface proteins. In the
apicomplexan parasite Plasmodium falciparum, responsible for
the severe form of malaria in humans, this is exemplified by
antigenic variation of the highly polymorphic P. falciparum
erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1)1,2
. PfEMP1, encoded

Source: Arnold, Jonathan - Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center & Department of Genetics, University of Georgia

Collections: Biotechnology