Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34718641›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of infectious diseases2022

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

Gladys J Keitany, Bethany J Jenkins, Harold T Obiakor, Shaji Daniel, Atis Muehlenbachs, Jean-Philippe Semblat, Benoit Gamain, Justin Y A Doritchamou, Sanjay A Desai, Nicholas J MacDonald and 7 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of infectious diseases, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 28% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Exploring theFrontiers in immunology · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Gladys J KeitanyCenter for Infectious Disease Research, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Bethany J JenkinsLaboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Harold T ObiakorLaboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Shaji DanielLaboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Atis MuehlenbachsUniversity of Washington Medical Center, Anatomic Pathology, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Jean-Philippe SemblatUniversité de Paris, Biologie Intégrée du Globule Rouge, UMR_S1134, Inserm, Paris, France.
Benoit GamainUniversité de Paris, Biologie Intégrée du Globule Rouge, UMR_S1134, Inserm, Paris, France.
Justin Y A DoritchamouLaboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Sanjay A DesaiLaboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
Nicholas J MacDonaldLaboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
David L NarumLaboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Robert MorrisonCenter for Infectious Disease Research, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Tracy SaveriaCenter for Infectious Disease Research, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Marissa VignaliCenter for Infectious Disease Research, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Andrew V OleinikovCenter for Infectious Disease Research, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Michal FriedCenter for Infectious Disease Research, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Patrick E DuffyCenter for Infectious Disease Research, Seattle, Washington, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4483-5005
Center for Infectious Disease Research · USNational Institutes of Health · USInserm · FRUniversity of Washington Medical Center · US

Funding

The Plasmodial Surface Anion Channel And Malaria Parasite Nutrient AcquisitionZIAAI000882 · NIAID · NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES · PI DESAI, SANJAY A · 2009 to 2025
$20.5M
Pregnancy Malaria Vaccine developmentZIAAI001176 · NIAID · NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES · PI DUFFY, PATRICK · 2012 to 2025
$5.6M
Malaria at the Mother-child InterfaceD43TW005509 · FIC · SEATTLE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE · PI KUBLIN, JAMES G. · 2002 to 2013
$1.6M
FIC NIH HHS D43 TW005509FIC NIH HHS D43-TW005509
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPlasmodium 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.

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

resultsRecombinant PfCSA-L binds both placental CSA and VAR2CSA with nanomolar affinity, and it is coexpressed on the iRBC surface with VAR2CSA. Unlike VAR2CSA, which is anchored by a transmembrane domain, PfCSA-L is peripherally associated with the outer surface of knobs through high-affinity protein-protein interactions with VAR2CSA. This suggests that iRBC sequestration involves complexes of invariant and variant surface proteins, allowing parasites to maintain both diversity and function at the iRBC surface.

conclusionsThe PfCSA-L is a promising target for intervention because it is well conserved, exposed on infected cells, and expressed and localized with VAR2CSA.

Indexed as

MalariaMalaria, FalciparumMalaria VaccinesAntibodies, ProtozoanAntigens, ProtozoanChondroitin SulfatesErythrocytesFemaleHumansPlacentaPlasmodium falciparumPregnancyAntibodies, ProtozoanAntigens, ProtozoanChondroitin SulfatesMalaria Vaccinesinvariant proteinplacental malariaPlasmodium falciparumsequestration

Identifiers

PMID34718641
PMCPMC9159320
OpenAlexW3210315882

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.