Isoenzyme variation in gametocytes of Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Myanmar

ABSTRACT

Seven isolates of blood containing Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes were collected from hospital in-patients in Yangon and the gametocytes were harvested for starch gel elecrophoresis of the following parasite isoenzymes-adenosine deaminase (ADA) (EC. 3.5.4.4), glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI) (EC. 5.3.1.9), NADP-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) (EC. 1.4.1.4), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (EC. 1.1.1.27), 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD) (EC>1.1.1.43), and peptidase E (PEPE) (EC.3.4.11 or 13). Variations were found in GPI, LDH and ADA. The other three isoenzymes appeared to be invariant in all the isolates. The isoenzyme patterns of gametocytes showed no marked difference from those of cultured schizonts.