Plasmodium falciparum Merozoite Associated Armadillo Protein (PfMAAP) Is Apically Localized in Free Merozoites and Antibodies Are Associated With Reduced Risk of Malaria

• Published in: Frontiers in immunology Vol. 11; p. 505
• Main Authors: Aniweh, Yaw, Nyarko, Prince B, Charles-Chess, Essel, Ansah, Felix, Osier, Faith H A, Quansah, Evelyn, Thiam, Laty Gaye, Kamuyu, Gathoni, Marsh, Kevin, Conway, David J, Tetteh, Kevin K A, Awandare, Gordon A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 07-04-2020
• Subjects: Animals; antibodies; Antibodies, Protozoan - blood; antigen; armadillo; Armadillo Domain Proteins - genetics; Armadillo Domain Proteins - metabolism; Cohort Studies; Erythrocytes - immunology; Erythrocytes - parasitology; Humans; Immunity, Humoral; Immunology; invasion; Malaria; Malaria, Falciparum - metabolism; Malaria, Falciparum - transmission; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Merozoites; Peptides - genetics; Peptides - metabolism; Plasmodium falciparum - immunology; Prospective Studies; Protein Transport; Protozoan Proteins - genetics; Protozoan Proteins - metabolism; Schizonts; Malaria; invasion; armadillo; recombinant protein; merozoites; antibodies; antigen
• ISSN: 1664-3224; 1664-3224
• DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00505

Understanding the functional role of proteins expressed by
is an important step toward unlocking potential targets for the development of therapeutic or diagnostic interventions. The armadillo (ARM) repeat protein superfamily is associated with varied functions across the eukaryotes. Therefore, it is important to understand the role of members of this protein family in
biology. The
armadillo repeats only (
ARO; Pf3D7_0414900) and
merozoite organizing proteins (
MOP; Pf3D7_0917000) are armadillo-repeat containing proteins previously characterized in
. Here, we describe the characterization of another ARM repeat-containing protein in
, which we have named the
Merozoites-Associated Armadillo repeats protein (PfMAAP). Antibodies raised to three different synthetic peptides of PfMAAP show apical staining of free merozoites and those within the mature infected schizont. We also demonstrate that the antibodies raised to the PfMAAP peptides inhibited invasion of erythrocytes by merozoites from different parasite isolates. In addition, naturally acquired human antibodies to the N- and C- termini of PfMAAP are associated with a reduced risk of malaria in a prospective cohort analysis.