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Polymorphism at the Apical Membrane Antigen 1 Gene (AMA1) of the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum in a Vietnamese Population

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Abstract

The patterns of molecular evolution of the most diverse region of the apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1) gene in Plasmodium falciparum from a Vietnamese subpopulation (Bao Loc) were investigated. Within the Bao Loc population, the sequenced gene region showed relatively high allelic and nucleotide diversity (0.985 and 0.02694, respectively). Further, the level of population recombination was substantial, resulting in a significant decay of linkage disequilibrium along the gene region. The results suggest that AMA1 is a useful genetic marker for studying the relationships between adaptation of parasite populations (to the human host immune system) and malaria epidemiology.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. F. Kawamoto (Oita University, Japan) for providing additional blood samples from Bao Loc and Prof. Osamu Kaneko (Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University) and Dr. Nguyen Viet Hung (Swiss Tropical Institute) for their critical reviews and help in improving our original manuscript. We also sincerely thank the reviewer for constructive comments and suggestions on the first draft of this article.

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Correspondence to Nguyen Duc Quang.

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Quang, N.D., Hoa, P.T.P., Tuan, M.S. et al. Polymorphism at the Apical Membrane Antigen 1 Gene (AMA1) of the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum in a Vietnamese Population. Biochem Genet 47, 370–383 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10528-009-9236-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10528-009-9236-4

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