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Identification of a novel cerebral malaria susceptibility locus (Berr5) on mouse chromosome 19

Genes & Immunity volume 11, pages 310–318 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

Cerebral malaria (CM) is an acute, generally lethal condition characterized by high fever, seizures and coma. The genetic component to CM can be investigated in mouse models that vary in degree of susceptibility to infection with Plasmodium berghei ANKA. Using survival time to measure susceptibility in an informative F2 cross (n=257), we identified linkage to chromosome 19 (Berr5 (Berghei resistance locus 5), LOD=4.69) controlling, in part, the differential response between resistant BALB/c and susceptible C57BL/6 progenitors. BALB/c alleles convey increased survival through the cerebral phase of infection but have no quantitative effect on parasitemia during the later, anemic phase. The Berr5 locus colocalizes with three other immune loci, including Trl-4 (tuberculosis resistance), Tsiq2 (T-cell secretion of IL-4) and Eae19 (experimental allergic encephalitis 19), suggesting the possibility of a common genetic effect underlying these phenotypes. Potential positional candidates include the family of Ifit1–3 (interferon-inducible protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 1–3) and Fas.

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Acknowledgements

Work in PG's lab was supported by a Team Grant (CTP 79842) from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to K Kain (U Toronto) and PG (McGill University), and by a CIHR operating Grant (FRN79343) to MM Stevenson, and to PG. PG is a James McGill Professor of Biochemistry, and JB is supported by a Doctoral Award from CIHR.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    J Berghout, G Min-Oo, S Gauthier & P Gros

  2. Research Institute of the Montreal General Hospital, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    M Tam & M M Stevenson

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  1. J Berghout
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  2. G Min-Oo
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Correspondence to P Gros.

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Berghout, J., Min-Oo, G., Tam, M. et al. Identification of a novel cerebral malaria susceptibility locus (Berr5) on mouse chromosome 19. Genes Immun 11, 310–318 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/gene.2009.79

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