Antigenic variation of Plasmodium knowlesi malaria: identification of the variant antigen on infected erythrocytes.

Erythrocytes infected with mature asexual stages of Plasmodium knowlesi express a new surface antigen such that rhesus monkey antisera specifically agglutinate these cells. Cloned parasites can express different antigenic variants of this antigen. The variant antigen has been identified by comparison of the surface membrane antigens of a clone and of an antigenic variant of that clone of different agglutination phenotype. After lactoperoxidase labeling, 125I-labeled proteins of Mrs 210,000 and 190,000 with one clone and of Mrs 205,000 with the antigenic variant were only immunoprecipitated by antisera containing homologous anti-variant antibody. Antigens of the same Mr from each clone were labeled by [35S]methionine incorporation during parasite growth and also specifically immunoprecipitated only by agglutinating antisera. Therefore, the variant antigens are malarial proteins rather than modified host proteins.