An Invariant Protein That Colocalizes With VAR2CSA on Plasmodium falciparum-Infected Red Cells Binds to Chondroitin Sulfate A.

Background: Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells (iRBCs) bind and sequester in deep vascular beds, causing malaria-related disease and death. In pregnant women, VAR2CSA binds to chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) and mediates placental sequestration, making it the major placental malaria (PM) vaccine target.

Methods: In this study, we characterize an invariant protein associated with PM called P falciparum chondroitin sulfate A ligand (PfCSA-L).