The Origin of antigenic diversity in Plasmodium falciparum

Most studies of genetic variability of Plasmodium falciparum have focused o n protein antigens and the genes that encode them. The consensus is that po pulations exhibit high levels of genetic polymorphism, most notably the gen es encoding surface proteins of the merozoite (Msp1, Msp2) and the sporozoi te (Csp). The age and derivation oft his variation is a subject that warran ts further careful consideration, as discussed here by Stephen Rich, Marcel o Ferreira and Francisco Ayala.