Genetic Characterization of C-Terminal Region of SERA5 Gene in Isolates of Plasmodium vivax in Southwestern Iran

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
G. Shokoohi 1
A. Saadatnia 2
A. Abolghazi 3
1 1- Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Medicine, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran. 2- Zoonoses Research center, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
2 Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Medicine, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
3 1-Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran. 2-Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Medicine, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
10.52547/iem.8.2.177
Abstract
Backgrounds: Plasmodium vivax is one of the leading causes of malaria as a severe and death disease. Malaria has always been a major challenge for human health. The study of the genetic diversity of genes in malaria-causing agents has always been a concern for researchers. One of these genes is SERA, which plays a key role in parasite escape from the immune system.

Materials & Methods: DNA was extracted from 40 blood samples taken from symptomatic malaria patients infected with P. vivax in southern and southwestern Iran using a DNA extraction kit. Then PCR was performed with specific primers, and the data were analyzed by sequencing and recording genes.

Findings: In this study, 14 different isolates were identified among all samples, which were recorded in the World Gene Bank. The number of haplotypes among the 14 samples was 12. Also, there were 25 polymorphic nucleotide positions out of about 400 nucleotide sites. The ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous mutations (1.87094) and the amount of Tajima’s D (-0.57671) indicated the positive effect of natural selection on the genetic diversity of C-terminal region in the SERA5 gene.

Conclusions: Considering the safety and relative immunogenicity of vaccines, in addition to performing clinical trials, a regional vaccine should be developed to overcome genetic variation and antigenic changes in proteins.

Keywords

Subjects

1. Rajahram GS, Cooper DJ, William T, Grigg MJ, Anstey NM, Barber BE. Deaths from Plasmodium knowlesi malaria: Case series and systematic review. Clin Infect Dis. 2019;69(10):1703-11.
2. Wyler DJ. Plasmodium species (malaria). In: Mandell GL, Douglas RG, Bennett JE eds. Principles and practice of infectious diseases. 3rd ed. New York: Churchill Livingstone Inc; 1990, p. 2056-2066.
3. Cowman, Alan F, et al. "Malaria: biology and disease." Cell 167.3 (2016): 610-624.‌
4. WHO. World malaria report 2021. Geneva, World Health Organization.; 2021.
5. Ballou W. The development of the RTS, S malaria vaccine candidate: Challenges and lessons. Parasite Immunol. 2009;31(9):492-500.
6. Holder A, JA GP, Uthaipibull C, Syed SE, Ling IT, Scott-Finnigan T, et al. Merozoite surface protein 1, immune evasion, and vaccines against asexual blood stage malaria. Parassitologia. 1999;41(1-3):409-14.
7. Holder AA. Malaria vaccines. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1999;96(4):1167-9.
8. Richie TL, Saul A. Progress and challenges for malaria vaccines. Nature. 2002;415(6872):694-701 .
9. Hisaeda H, Stowers AW, Tsuboi T, Collins WE, Sattabongkot JS, Suwanabun N, et al. Antibodies to malaria vaccine candidates Pvs25 and Pvs28 completely block the ability of Plasmodium vivax to infect mosquitoes. Infect Immun. 2000;68(12):6618-23.
10. Ballou WR, Herrera MA, Carucci D, Richie TL, Corradin G, Diggs C, et al. Update on the clinical development of candidate malaria vaccines. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2004;71(suppl_2):239-47.
11. Kiefer MC, Crawford KA, Boley LJ, Landsberg KE, Gibson HL, Kaslow DC, et al. Identification and cloning of a locus of serine repeat antigen (sera)-related genes from Plasmodium vivax. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 1996;78(1-2):55-65.
12. Arisue N, Kawai S, Hirai M, Palacpac NM, Jia M, Kaneko A, et al. Clues to evolution of the SERA multigene family in 18 Plasmodium species. PloS One. 2011;6(3):e17775.
13. Abolghazi A, Heidari A, Vahideh MV, Haghighi A, Tabaei SJ, Keshavarz H, et al. Genetic diversity in C-terminal of SERA5 gene in the blood stage of human isolates of Plasmodium vivax in Sistan and Baluchistan, Iran. Iran J Parasitol. 2018;13(3):440-7.
14. Rahul C, Krishna KS, Bai NM, Kumar V, Phadke S, Rajesh V. Plasmodium vivax: C-terminal diversity in the blood stage SERA genes from Indian field isolates. Exp Parasitol. 2013;134(1):82-91.
15. Raeisi A, Gouya MM, Nadim A, Ranjbar M, Hasanzehi A, Fallahnezhad M, et al. Determination of malaria epidemiological status in Iran’s malarious areas as baseline information for implementation of malaria elimination program in Iran. Iran J Public Health. 2013;42(3):326-33.
16. Richards JS, Beeson JG. The future for blood‐stage vaccines against malaria. Immunol Cell Biol. 2009;87(5):377-90.
17. Trimnell AR, Kraemer SM, Mukherjee S, Phippard DJ, Janes JH, Flamoe E, et al. Global genetic diversity and evolution of var genes associated with placental and severe childhood malaria. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 2006;148(2):169-80.
18. Hemami MR, Sari AA, Raeisi A, Vatandoost H, Majdzadeh R. Malaria elimination in Iran, importance and challenges. Int J Prev Med. 2013;4(1):88-94.
19. Rahul C, Krishna KS, Meera M, Phadke S, Rajesh V. Plasmodium vivax: N-terminal diversity in the blood stage SERA genes from Indian isolates. Blood Cells Mol Dis. 2015;55(1):30-5.
20. Miahipour A, Keshavarz H, Heidari A, Raeisi A, Rezaeian M, Rezaie S. Genetic variation of MSP-1 gene in Plasmodium vivax isolated from patients in Hormozgan province, Iran using SSCP-PCR. Iran J Parasitol. 2012;7(4):1-7.
21. Aoki S, Li J, Itagaki S, Okech BA, Egwang TG, Matsuoka H, et al. Serine repeat antigen (SERA5) is predominantly expressed among the SERA multigene family of Plasmodium falciparum, and the acquired antibody titers correlate with serum inhibition of the parasite growth. J Biol Chem. 2002;277(49):47533-40.
22. Miller SK, Good RT, Drew DR, Delorenzi M, Sanders PR, Hodder AN, et al. A subset of Plasmodium falciparum SERA genes are expressed and appear to play an important role in the erythrocytic cycle. J Biol Chem. 2002;277(49):47524-32.
23. Arisue N, Palacpac NM, Tanabe K, Horii T. Clues to evolution of the SERA multigene family in the genus Plasmodium. In: Friedberg F. editor. Gene duplication. IntechOpen; 2011.
24. West SA, Smith TG, Nee S, Read AF. Fertility insurance and the sex ratios of malaria and related hemospororin blood parasites. J Parasitol. 2002;88(2):258-63.
25. Gilson PR, Crabb BS. Morphology and kinetics of the three distinct phases of red blood cell invasion by Plasmodium falciparum merozoites. Int J Parasitol. 2009;39(1):91-6.
26. Cowman AF, Crabb BS. Invasion of red blood cells by malaria parasites. Cell. 2006;124(4):755-66.
27. Tanabe K, Arisue N, Palacpac NM, Yagi M, Tougan T, Honma H, et al. Geographic differentiation of polymorphism in the Plasmodium falciparum malaria vaccine candidate gene SERA5. Vaccine. 2012;30(9):1583-93.
28. Miura K. Progress and prospects for blood-stage malaria vaccines. Expert Rev Vaccines. 2016;15(6):765-81.
Infection Epidemiology and Microbiology
Volume 8, Issue 2
June 2022
Pages 177-183