@article {538981,
	title = {Plasmodium falciparum: worldwide sequence diversity and evolution of the malaria vaccine candidate merozoite surface protein-2 (MSP-2)},
	journal = {Exp Parasitol},
	volume = {115},
	number = {1},
	year = {2007},
	note = {<p>Ferreira, Marcelo UHartl, Daniel LengResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov{\textquoteright}t2006/06/27 09:00Exp Parasitol. 2007 Jan;115(1):32-40. Epub 2006 Jun 21.</p>},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {32-40},
	abstract = {<p>We examined patterns and putative mechanisms of sequence diversification in the merozoite surface protein-2 (MSP-2) of Plasmodium falciparum, a major dimorphic malaria vaccine candidate antigen, by analyzing 448 msp-2 alleles from all continents. We describe several nucleotide replacements, insertion and deletion events, frameshift mutations, and proliferations of repeat units that generate the extraordinary diversity found in msp-2 alleles. We discuss the role of positive selection exerted by naturally acquired type- and variant-specific immunity in maintaining the observed levels of polymorphism and suggest that this is the most likely explanation for the significant excess of nonsynonymous nucleotide replacements found in dimorphic msp-2 domains. Hybrid sequences created by meiotic recombination between alleles of different dimorphic types were observed in few (3.1\%) isolates, mostly from Africa. We found no evidence for an extremely ancient origin of allelic dimorphism at the msp-2 locus, predating P. falciparum speciation, in contrast with recent findings for other surface malarial antigens.</p>},
	keywords = {*Evolution, Molecular, *Genetic Variation, Alleles, Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Antigens, Protozoan/*genetics/immunology, Base Sequence, DNA, Protozoan/chemistry, Malaria Vaccines/*genetics, Molecular Sequence Data, Plasmodium falciparum/*genetics/immunology, Polymorphism, Genetic, Protozoan Proteins/*genetics/immunology, Recombination, Genetic, Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid, Sequence Alignment},
	isbn = {0014-4894 (Print)0014-4894 (Linking)},
	author = {Ferreira, M. U. and Hartl, D. L.}
}
