Letter abstract
Nature Genetics 39, 126 - 130 (2006)
Published online: 10 December 2006 | doi:10.1038/ng1924
Genome-wide variation and identification of vaccine targets in the Plasmodium falciparum genome
Jianbing Mu1, Philip Awadalla2, Junhui Duan1, Kate M McGee2, Jon Keebler2, Karl Seydel1, Gilean A T McVean3 & Xin-zhuan Su1
One goal in sequencing the Plasmodium falciparum genome, the agent of the most lethal form of malaria, is to discover vaccine and drug targets1. However, identifying those targets in a genome in which 
60% of genes have unknown functions is an enormous challenge. Because the majority of known malaria antigens and drug-resistant genes are highly polymorphic and under various selective pressures2, 3, 4, 5, 6, genome-wide analysis for signatures of selection may lead to discovery of new vaccine and drug candidates. Here we surveyed 3,539 P. falciparum genes (65% of the predicted genes) for polymorphisms and identified various highly polymorphic loci and genes, some of which encode new antigens that we confirmed using human immune sera. Our collections of genome-wide SNPs (65% nonsynonymous) and polymorphic microsatellites and indels provide a high-resolution map (one marker per 4 kb) for mapping parasite traits and studying parasite populations. In addition, we report new antigens, providing urgently needed vaccine candidates for disease control.
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
- Department of Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7614, USA.
- Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TG, UK.
Correspondence to: Xin-zhuan Su1 e-mail: xsu@niaid.nih.gov
Correspondence to: Philip Awadalla2 e-mail: pawadalla@ncsu.edu
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