background: approximately 85-90% of malaria infections in iran are attributed to plasmodium vivax , while little is known about the genetic of the parasite and its strain types in this region. this study was designed and performed for describing genetic characteristics of plasmodium vivax population of iran based on the merozoite surface protein-3α gene sequence. methods: through a descriptive ...

background: the worldwide distribution of p. vivax has expanded significantly and the number of reported cases has been on the rise. approximately 88% of malaria cases in iran are caused by plasmodium vivax , and in order to management of the disease, understanding the population genetic structure of the parasite is necessary for designing and applying drugs and vaccines. among many potential c...

the emergence of plasmodium vivax in dashte moghan in northwestern iran has become a major concern for iranian's health officials. knowledge of genetic make up of the p. vivax populations in this area would give us an insight into the origin of the prevalent infections and the possible routes they are introduced. this paper reports the analysis of a variable region between the two interspecies ...

The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum replicates within an intraerythrocytic parasitophorous vacuole (PV). Rupture of the host cell allows release (egress) of daughter merozoites, which invade fresh erythrocytes. We previously showed that a subtilisin-like protease called PfSUB1 regulates egress by being discharged into the PV in the final stages of merozoite development to proteolytically...

Babesia bovis merozoites are exposed to antibodies during the extraerythrocytic phase, and surface polypeptides bearing exposed epitopes are possible immunogens. Monoclonal antibodies reactive with the merozoite surface bind either immunodominant epitopes expressed diffusely on the merozoite surface or, alternatively, epitopes expressed in a polar pattern. Epitopes expressed diffusely on the im...

Invasion of erythrocytes by the malarial parasite is a receptor-mediated process. P. falciparum merozoites recognize and bind to erythrocyte surface sialoglycoproteins, glycophorins A and B, and the glycophorins bind to saturable sites on the merozoite surface. The purpose of the present work was to identify a receptor or ligand molecule on the merozoite surface that mediates binding to the ery...

Merozoite surface proteins of Plasmodium falciparum play a critical role in the invasion of human erythrocytes by the malaria parasite. Here we describe the identification of a novel protein with a molecular mass of 40 kDa that is found on the merozoite surface of P. falciparum. We call this protein merozoite surface protein 4 (MSP-4). Evidence for the surface location of MSP-4 includes (i) a s...

A hypervariable region (HVR) previously identified in the carboxy-terminal one-third of the Babesia bovis variable merozoite surface antigen family was more extensively analyzed in merozoite surface antigen 1 (MSA-1) from 16 strains and isolates. The MSA-1 HVR is proline rich and contains three semiconserved motifs nearly identical to those described for the related family member MSA-2. Two MSA...

Electron microscopy was used to study the fate of Plasmodium falciparum ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen after merozoite invasion by using postembedding immunolabeling. The antigen was localized to small dense granules located centrally or laterally in free merozoites. In newly invaded erythrocytes, labeling was found in pockets of the parasitophorous vacuole space or in aggregates clo...

Invasion of erythrocytes by merozoites of the monkey malaria, Plasmodium knowlesi, was investigated by electron microscopy. The apical end of the merozoite makes initial contact with the erythrocyte, creating a small depression in the erythrocyte membrane. The area of the erythrocyte membrane to which the merozoite is attached becomes thickened and forms a junction with the plasma membrane of t...