Identification and polymorphism of Plasmodium vivax RBP-1 peptides which bind specifically to reticulocytes

Plasmodium vivax merozoite preferentially invades reticulocytes probably using PvRBP-1 as ligand. One hundred and ninety-five, 15-mer peptides has been synthesised from PvRBP-1 sequence; tested in reticulocyte- or erythrocyte-binding assays. Twenty-five peptides (K_d = 76-380nM) specifically defined four reticulocyte-binding regions. It has been reported that a highly conserved Region-I recombinant fragment binds specifically to reticulocytes. HABP-critical residues for reticulocyte-binding were highly conserved in 20 Colombian P. vivax clinical isolates, suggesting an important biological function. There were six overlapping reticulocyte-binding sites for these peptides according to enzyme sensitivity and mutual competition-binding assays; located on 26- and 41-kDa reticulocyte membrane surface proteins.