Characterisation of the merozoite surface protein-2 promoter using stable and transient transfection in Plasmodium falciparum

Abstract

Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein (MSP)-2, is a polymorphic protein whose variable regions define two allelic families, the 3D7/IC-1 and FC27/D10 families. The gene encoding MSP-2 is located on chromosome 2 immediately 3′ of the gene encoding merozoite surface protein-5 (MSP-5) with a 1096bp intergenic region that presumably contains the MSP-2 promoter. Here we present characterization of the MSP-2 promoter using transient and stable transfection of P. falciparum. The mRNA transcription initiation site was mapped to a position 256bp upstream of the MSP-2 translation start site. The ability of the intergenic region between MSP-5 and MSP-2 to promote the expression of chloramphen..