Genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 in field isolates from central Myanmar

Abstract

<i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (<i>Pf</i>EMP1), encoded by the polymorphic <i>var</i> multigene family, is a highly polymorphic antigen that plays a crucial role in the pathology of malaria. The contribution of the genetic diversity of <i>var</i> toward the immune escape of <i>P. falciparum</i> has not yet been fully elucidated. This study aimed to characterize the diversity of <i>var</i> repertoires by screening <i>P. falciparum</i> Duffy-binding-like α domain (PfDBLα) among field isolates from central Myanmar. Genetic analysis revealed that the D-H segments of <i>var</i> in Myanmar populations have an extensive polymorphic repertoire, with high numbers of unique sequence types in each individual. However, <i>var</i> genes from the global population, including Myanmar, shared close genetic lineages regardless of their geographic origins, indicating that they have not undergone rapid evolutionary changes.