CYTOADHERENCE-RELATED HOMOLOGOUS MOTIFS IN PLASMODIUM-FALCIPARUM ANTIGEN PF155 RESA AND ERYTHROCYTE BAND-3 PROTEIN/

Cytoadherence of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes plays an important role in the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria. The identity o f cell surface molecules on parasitized erythrocytes involved in cytoa dherence is of great interest to understand the molecular basis of thi s mechanism. Peptide sequences derived from exofacial loops of the ery throcyte antigen band 3 from parasitized erythrocytes have previously been shown to inhibit cytoadherence. We now report that a non-repeated region of Pf155/RESA (residues 213-218) contains a hexapeptide motif being highly homologous to cytoadherence inhibitory sequences from ban d 3. Synthetic peptides containing the hexapeptide motif of Pf155/RESA inhibited the binding of P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes to melan oma cells in vitro. Furthermore, individuals residing in malaria-endem ic areas have antibodies reactive with epitopes involving these motifs in band 3 and in Pf155/RESA.