High-level expression, purification and characterization of a recombinant Plasmodium vivax apical membrane Antigen 1: implication for vivax Malaria vaccine development

ABSTRACT

Objective: The apical membrane antigen-1 [AMA-1] is considered as a promising candidate for development of a malaria vaccine against Plasmodium parasites. The correct conformation of this protein appears to be necessary for the stimulation of parasite-inhibitory responses, and these responses, in turn, seem to be antibody-mediated. Therefore, in the present investigation, we expressed the Plasmodium vivax AMA-1 [PvAMA-1] ectodomain in Escherichia coli [E. coli], purified it using standard procedures and characterized it to determine its biological activities for it to be used as a potential target for developing a protective and safe vivax malaria vaccine