| Laboratory Of Malariology |
 |
 |
| The Laboratory of Malariology is a new malaria research lab headed by Professor Kazuyuki Tanabe at the Research Institute of Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Japan. |
 |
|
Research Projects:
Malaria imposes a huge burden on human health. We are studying the genetic diversity of malaria parasites in order to elucidate the parasite’s adaptive evolution mechanisms. Specific research subjects in Laboratory of Malariology are: (1) The evolution of antigen polymorphism in malaria parasites One way in which malaria parasites evade the host’s immune system is through antigen polymorphism. We are investigating human parasite populations from diverse geographic areas, as well as monkey malaria parasites, in order to reveal the evolutionary origins and population genetic mechanisms of antigen polymorphism in immune-target genes. (1) The origin and evolution of human malaria parasites We are investigating the evolutionary origin of human malaria parasites and the time of their divergence from their most recent common ancestor by evolutionary and population genetic analysis. We are also interested in the global spread of extant malaria parasite populations. (3) Genetic basis of the host-specificity of malaria infection Revealing the molecular genetic basis of host-specificity in malaria parasite invasion will greatly facilitate our current understanding of host-parasite interactions. To find molecules that are related to host-specificity, we examine both host and parasite genomes using powerful comparative genomic analyses. (4) The prevalence and population dynamics of Plasmodium vivax in Africa Plasmodium vivax is extremely rare in West Africa due to the high prevalence of the Duffy negative phenotype in the indigenous population. Duffy positive visitors to West Africa frequently return home with P. vivax infections, however, suggesting transmission of the parasite does occur in this area We are currently investigating the distribution and population dynamics of this parasite in West Africa. |
| Research Group Members
Specially Appointed Professor: Kazuyuki Tanabe, D. Sc., D. Med. Sc. SA Research Associate: Toshiyuki Hayakawa, D. Sc. Postdoctoral Fellow: Hiroto Ohtani, D. Med. Sc. JSPS Research Fellow: Richard Culleton, Ph.D. |
| References
1. Putaporntip, C., Jongwutiwes, S., Sakihama, N., Ferreira, M. U., Kho, W.-G., Kaneko, A., Kanbara, H., Hattori, T. and Tanabe, K. (2002) Mosaic organization and heterogeneity in frequency of allelic recombination of the Plasmodium vivax merozoite surface prote in-1 locus. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99, 16348-16353. 2. Tanabe, K., Sakihama, N., Färnert, A., Rooth, I., Björkman, A., Walliker, D. and Ranford-Cartwright, L. (2002) In vitro recombination during PCR of Plasmodium falciparum DNA: a potential pitfall in molecular population genetic analysis. Mol. Biochem. Parasitol. 122, 211-216 3. Tanabe, K., Sakihama, N. and Kaneko, A. (2004) Stable SNPs in malaria antigen genes in isolated populations. Science 303, 493. 4. Tanabe, K., Sakihama, N., Hattori, T., Ranford-Cartwright, L., Goldman, I., Escalante, A. A. and Lal, A. A. (2004) Genetic distance in housekeeping genes between Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium reichenowi and within P. falciparum. J. Mol. Evol. 59, 687-694 5. Sakihama, N., Ohmae, H., Bakote, B., Kawabata, M., Hirayama, K. and Tanabe, K. (2006) Limited allelic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum msp1 from populations in The Solomon Islands. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 74, 31-40. |
 |