Plasmodium berghei merozoite surface protein-9: immunogenicity and protective efficacy using a homologous challenge model.

Merozoite surface protein-9 (MSP-9) from Plasmodium is considered a promising vaccine candidate due to its location and possible role in erythrocyte invasion. We report the identification and characterization of Plasmodium berghei MSP-9 (PbMSP-9) and its properties as an immunogen using a recombinant PbMSP-9 fragment to immunize BALB/c mice. PbMSP-9 was found to harbor erythrocyte binding and serine protease activity.