Menegon M, Severini C, Sannella A, Paglia M G, Sangaré D, Abdel-Wahab A, Abdel-Muhsin A A, Babiker H, Walliker D, Alano P
Laboratorio di Parassitologia, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Mol Biochem Parasitol. 2000 Nov;111(1):153-61. doi: 10.1016/s0166-6851(00)00314-5.
A molecular assay has been developed for the specific detection and genetic characterisation of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes in the blood of malaria infected individuals. The assay is based on the reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification of the messenger RNA of gene pfg377, a sexual-stage specific transcript abundantly produced in maturing gametocytes. The gene contains four regions of repetitive sequences, of which region 3 was shown to be the most polymorphic in laboratory clones and field isolates of the parasite. Analysis of samples of malaria infected blood by RT-PCR specific for region 3 has enabled identification of multiple gametocyte-producing clones within single infections. The assay is able to detect gametocytes below the threshold of microscopic detection, and is highly specific for its gametocyte targets also in the presence of a vast excess of asexual forms.
已开发出一种分子检测方法，用于特异性检测和基因表征疟疾感染个体血液中的恶性疟原虫配子体。该检测方法基于对基因pfg377信使RNA的逆转录和聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）扩增，pfg377是一种在成熟配子体中大量产生的性阶段特异性转录本。该基因包含四个重复序列区域，其中区域3在该寄生虫的实验室克隆和野外分离株中显示出最高的多态性。通过针对区域3的RT-PCR分析疟疾感染血液样本，能够识别单一感染中的多个产生配子体的克隆。该检测方法能够检测到低于显微镜检测阈值的配子体，并且在存在大量无性形式的情况下，对其配子体靶标也具有高度特异性。
