%0 Journal Article
%T Genetic Polymorphism of Plasmodium falciparum Merozoite Surface Protein-1 and -2 and Diversity of Drug Resistance Genes in Blood Donors from Bamako, Mali
%A Bolaji N. Thomas
%A Carlyn R. Petrella
%A Stephanie R. Crespo
%A Tanya J. Thakur
%A Joann M. Moulds and Dapa A. Diallo
%J Infectious Diseases: Research and Treatment
%D 2012
%I 
%R 10.4137/IDRT.S10094
%X We examined malaria infection in asymptomatic blood donors from Mali, analyzing allelic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) merozoite surface proteins (msp) -1 and -2 as well as the distribution of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) resistance genes. A total of 140 genomic DNA samples were screened. Allele-specific nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of Pfmsp-1 and Pfmsp-2 was performed, plus fragment analysis of the polymorphic regions to identify allelic diversity of the parasite population. We found parasite positivity due to Pf alone in 20.7% of these donors. Diverse allelic polymorphism of Pfmsp-1 and Pfmsp-2 was identified, with a high rate of multiplicity of infection (1.84 and 1.82 for Pfmsp-1 and Pfmsp-2, respectively). In addition, we found a high degree of SP resistance, with mutations at several dhfr and dhps codons. We conclude that there is an extensive diversity of Pfmsp-1 and Pfmsp-2 allelic types and SP drug resistance in Pf-infected donors from Mali.
%U http://www.la-press.com/genetic-polymorphism-of-plasmodium-falciparum-merozoite-surface-protei-article-a3318