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plasmodium genomics

Nature 419, 498-511 (3 October 2002) | doi:10.1038/nature01097; Received 31 July 2002; Accepted 2 September 2002

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articles Genome sequence of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum

Malcolm J. Gardner1, Neil Hall2, Eula Fung3, Owen White1, Matthew Berriman2, Richard W. Hyman3, Jane M. Carlton1, Arnab Pain2, Karen E. Nelson1, Sharen Bowman2,14, Ian T. Paulsen1, Keith James2, Jonathan A. Eisen1, Kim Rutherford2, Steven L. Salzberg1, Alister Craig4, Sue Kyes5, Man-Suen Chan5, Vishvanath Nene1, Shamira J. Shallom1, Bernard Suh1, Jeremy Peterson1, Sam Angiuoli1, Mihaela Pertea1, Jonathan Allen1, Jeremy Selengut1, Daniel Haft1, Michael W. Mather6, Akhil B. Vaidya6, David M. A. Martin7, Alan H. Fairlamb7, Martin J. Fraunholz8, David S. Roos8, Stuart A. Ralph9, Geoffrey I. McFadden9, Leda M. Cummings1, G. Mani Subramanian10, Chris Mungall11, J. Craig Venter12, Daniel J. Carucci13, Stephen L. Hoffman13,14, Chris Newbold5, Ronald W. Davis3, Claire M. Fraser1 & Bart Barrell2

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The parasite Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for hundreds of millions of cases of malaria, and kills more than one million African children annually. Here we report an analysis of the genome sequence of P. falciparum clone 3D7. The 23-megabase nuclear genome consists of 14 chromosomes, encodes about 5,300 genes, and is the most (A + T)-rich genome sequenced to date. Genes involved in antigenic variation are concentrated in the subtelomeric regions of the chromosomes. Compared to the genomes of free-living eukaryotic microbes, the genome of this intracellular parasite encodes fewer enzymes and transporters, but a large proportion of genes are devoted to immune evasion and host–parasite interactions. Many nuclear-encoded proteins are targeted to the apicoplast, an organelle involved in fatty-acid and isoprenoid metabolism. The genome sequence provides the foundation for future studies of this organism, and is being exploited in the search for new drugs and vaccines to fight malaria.