Plasmodium vivax  reticulocyte binding proteins are key targets of naturally acquired immunity in young Papua New Guinean children

Fran&#231;a, Camila T; He, Wen-Qiang; Gruszczyk, Jakub; Lim, Nicholas TY; Lin, Enmoore; Kiniboro, Benson; Siba, Peter M; Tham, Wai-Hong; Mueller, Ivo

Plasmodium vivax reticulocyte binding proteins are key targets of naturally acquired immunity in young Papua New Guinean children

Author(s): França, Camila T; He, Wen-Qiang; Gruszczyk, Jakub; Lim, Nicholas TY; Lin, Enmoore; Kiniboro, Benson; Siba, Peter M; Tham, Wai-Hong; Mueller, Ivo;
Details: Publication Year 2016,Volume 10,Issue #9,Page e0005014
Journal Title: PLoS Negl Trop Dis
Publication Type: Journal Article
Abstract: In parallel with the tremendous reduction in malaria burden, Plasmodium vivax is now the predominant malaria species in the Asia-Pacific and Americas. Pv can only invade young erythrocytes (reticulocytes) and this restriction is thought to involve the Reticulocyte-Binding Protein family (PvRBP). Given their predicted role, PvRBPs are potentially interesting vaccine targets. However, the acquisition of immunity to <italic>Pv</italic> in general (PvRBPs in particular) is poorly understood, hindering vaccine development. Here, we show that out of five PvRBPs, only one (PvRBP2b) binds exclusively to reticulocytes. Furthermore, we measured antibody levels to all six PvRBPs in a cohort of young Papua New Guinean children, assessing the relationship between antibodies to PvRBPs and risk of malaria disease. Both total and specific antibody subclass levels (IgG1 and IgG3) to the reticulocyte-specific binder PvRBP2b, and the non-specific binder PvRBP1a were strongly associated with lower risk of clinical disease. Our findings indicate a diversity of roles of PvRBPs in erythrocyte invasion and highlight their importance as targets of the naturally acquired immunity to Pv. Functional studies of the role of PvRBPs in reticulocyte invasion will be required to fully understand the potential of PvRBP1a and PvRBP2b as vaccine candidates.
Publisher: Public Library of Science
Research Division(s): Population Health And Immunity; Infection And Immunity
PubMed ID: 27677183
Publisher's Version: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0005014
Open Access at Publisher's Site: http://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0005014
NHMRC Grants: NHMRC/1043345,
Terms of Use/Rights Notice: Refer to copyright notice on published article.
Documents: journal.pntd.0005014.PDF - (2.38MB, application/pdf)

Creation Date: 2016-10-04 09:29:24

Last Modified: 2016-10-04 11:23:45