Human antisera detect a Plasmodium falciparum genomic clone encoding a nonapeptide repeat.

Plasmodium falciparum causes malaria infections in its human host. Its wide distribution in tropical countries is a major world health problem. Before a vaccine can be produced, the identification and characterization of parasite antigens is necessary. This can be achieved by the cloning and subsequent analysis of genes coding for parasite antigens. Recently established cDNA banks allow the expression of cDNA derived from the simian parasite Plasmodium knowlesi and P. falciparum in Escherichia coli. Recombinants encoding parasite antigens have been identified by immunodetection in both banks. Two of them contain repetitive units of 11 (ref. 7) or 12 (ref. 5) amino acids. We describe here the construction of an expression bank made directly from randomly generated fragments of P. falciparum genomic DNA. We detect several clones which react strongly with human African immune sera. One clone expresses an antigenic determinant composed of occasionally degenerated repeats of a peptide nonamer.

Methods for identification of recombinants of phage lambda.

Two methods are described which allow the screening of a large number of phage plaques for a specific DNA sequence carried by the phage or a specific antigen produced within the phage plaque. These methods were set up with lambda and lambdalac phages. Phage plaques were transferred onto nitrocellulose filters by desiccation in 0.1 M NaOH, and the lac sequence was detected by hybridization to radioactive lac mRNA. Beta-Galactosidase was detected by reaction with anti-beta-galactosidase immune serum included in the soft agar of the titration plates; the precipitate thus formed was revealed by means of enzyme-coupled antibodies and in situ coloration. These methods are potentially useful for the identification of lambda transducers, including those which are generated by in vitro recombination with eukaryotic DNA.