High impact information on PFMESA

• Colocalization studies of the protein pairs of mature parasite-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (MESA) (parasite)/protein4.1(host) and P. falciparum histidine rich protein (PfHRP1) (parasite)/protein4.1(host) showed good real-space correlation for the MESA/protein4.1 pair, but relatively poor correlation for the PfHRP1/protein4.1 pair [1].
• One of these transported proteins, MESA (mature parasite-infected erythrocyte surface antigen), is anchored to the red cell membrane by noncovalent interaction with erythrocyte protein 4 [2].
• Loss of parasite proteins ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (RESA), knob-associated histidine-rich protein (KAHRP) or Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 3 (PfEMP3) had a significant effect on the ability of PRBCs to adhere, whereas loss of mature parasite-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (MESA) had no effect [3].
• The mature-parasite-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (MESA, also known as PfEMP-2 and pp300) of Plasmodium falciparum is a phosphoprotein of approx. 250-300 kDa that is exported from the parasite to the erythrocyte membrane skeleton where it binds to protein 4 [4].
• 1. Determination of the primary sequence of MESA reveals that it is encoded by 2 exons, a structure common to other exported proteins of P. falciparum [4].

Biological context of PFMESA

• In contrast, parasites from the same clone that were cultured without this selection lost the knobbed and cytoadherent phenotypes, but continued to express MESA [5].
• Intraerythrocytic Plasmodium falciparum parasites at the trophozoite and schizont stages synthesize a greater than 200-kDa protein, the mature erythrocyte surface antigen (MESA), that is localized at the membrane of infected red blood cells and manifests size polymorphism and antigenic diversity among parasite isolates [5].
• Our results show that neither MESA nor protein 4.1 is required for phosphorylation of its binding partner [6].
• Their chromosomal locations have been identified such as KAHRP on chromosome 2 and MESA/PFEMP-2 on chromosomes 5 and 6 [7].

Anatomical context of PFMESA

• Transcripts of the EMP2/MESA gene were detectable only in infected hepatocytes [8].

Other interactions of PFMESA

• The mature-parasite-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (MESA) of Plasmodium falciparum associates with the erythrocyte membrane skeletal protein, band 4.1 [9].

References