Pa. Nogueira et al., Variant antigens of Plasmodium falciparum encoded by the veer multigenic family are multifunctional macromolecules, RES MICROB, 152(2), 2001, pp. 141-147
Cytoadhesion of parasitized red blood cells (PRBCs) to vascular endothelial
cells (sequestration) and binding of unparasitized RBCs to PRBCs (rosettin
g) are virulence factors of Plasmodium falciparum, the species responsible
for lethal human malaria. Variant antigens involved in both phenomena have
been identified as products of the multicopy var gene family. In this revie
w, progress in the understanding of molecular mechanisms of sequestration i
s summarized, in particular, concerning the structure of var gene products
related to specificity of binding to endothelial receptors, and the origin
of var gene diversity. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevie
r SAS.