Common virulence gene expression in adult first-time infected malaria patients and severe cases.

Sequestration of ()-infected erythrocytes to host endothelium through the parasite-derived erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (EMP1) adhesion proteins is central to the development of malaria pathogenesis. EMP1 proteins have diversified and expanded to encompass many sequence variants, conferring each parasite a similar array of human endothelial receptor-binding phenotypes. Here, we analyzed RNA-seq profiles of parasites isolated from 32 infected adult travellers returning to Germany.