Clinical Proteomics of the Neglected Human Malarial Parasite Plasmodium vivax

Abstract

Recent reports highlight the severity and the morbidity of disease caused by the long neglected malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax. Due to inherent difficulties in the laboratory-propagation of P. vivax, the biology of this parasite has not been adequately explored. While the proteome of P. falciparum, the causative agent of cerebral malaria, has been extensively explored from several sources, there is limited information on the proteome of P. vivax. We have, for the first time, examined the proteome of P. vivax isolated directly from patients without adaptation to laboratory conditions. We have identified 153 proteins from clinical P. vivax, majority of which do not show homology to any previously known gene products. We also report 29 new proteins that were found to be expressed in P. vivax for the first time. In addition, several proteins previously implicated as anti-malarial targets, were also found in our analysis. Most importantly, we found several unique proteins expressed by P. vivax.This study is an important step in providing insight into physiology of the parasite under clinical settings.

An immunomics approach for the analysis of natural antibody responses to Plasmodium vivax infection

“…16,36 A chromatin assembly factor 1 (PVX_081265), an early transcribed membrane protein (PVX_090230), a deoxyribose-phosphate aldolase (PVX_001945), a cell division cycle protein 48 homologue (PVX_114095), a heat shock protein (PVX_122065) and a conserved hypothetical protein (PVX_115450) were identified from peripheral blood of P. vivax infected patients. 36 A subtilisin-like protease precursor (SUB1, PVX_097935), rhoptry-associated protein 2 (RAP2, PVX_097590) and other 14 proteins were included in the schizont proteome dataset. 16 Especially, a homolog gene with a P. falciparum membrane associated histidine-rich protein (MAHRP1) PVX_115450, was recognized by 12 malaria serum samples with ROCs of 0.99, which was identified from peripheral blood of a patient infected with P. vivax and the schizont proteome of P. vivax.…”

Unusual presentation of Plasmodium vivax: a neglected human malaria parasite

“…The proteomic analysis of PV is hampered by limited parasitemia of usually <0.5%, seen in case of PV infections as it infects only reticulocytes, which comprise 1-3% of the total RBCs. This is in contrast to PF which is able to infect RBCs of all ages, resulting in a relatively higher average parasitemia of>5% (Acharya et al 2011).…”

Plasmodium vivaxvaccine surrogate markers of protection: dawning of a new era

“…Transcriptomic and proteomic approaches have been used for P. vivax antigen discovery [41][42][43][44], and RNAseq and high-resolution mass spectrometry technologies can now be applied. Host and pathogen data can be simultaneously generated at distinct time points for these and other 'omics (e.g., lipid omics, glycomics and metabolomics), as well as immune profiling and clinical parameters, and relationships drawn to understand the immune response, evasion mechanisms and pathogenesis.…”