A comparative study of the localization and membrane topology of members of the RIFIN, STEVOR and PfMC-2TM protein families in Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes.

Background: Variant surface antigens (VSA) exposed on the membrane of Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes mediate immune evasion and are important pathogenicity factors in malaria disease. In addition to the well-studied PfEMP1, the small VSA families RIFIN, STEVOR and PfMC-2TM are assumed to play a role in this process.

Methods: This study presents a detailed comparative characterization of the localization, membrane topology and extraction profile across the life cycle of various members of these protein families employing confocal microscopy, immunoelectron microscopy and immunoblots.