TY - JOUR T1 - Genome sequence of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum JF - NatureNature Y1 - 2002 A1 - Gardner, Malcolm J. A1 - Hall, Neil A1 - Fung, Eula A1 - White, Owen A1 - Berriman, Matthew A1 - Hyman, Richard W. A1 - Carlton, Jane M. A1 - Pain, Arnab A1 - Nelson, Karen E. A1 - Bowman, Sharen A1 - Paulsen, Ian T. A1 - James, Keith A1 - Eisen, Jonathan A. A1 - Rutherford, Kim A1 - Salzberg, Steven L. A1 - Craig, Alister A1 - Kyes, Sue A1 - Chan, Man-Suen A1 - Nene, Vishvanath A1 - Shallom, Shamira J. A1 - Suh, Bernard A1 - Peterson, Jeremy A1 - Angiuoli, Sam A1 - Pertea, Mihaela A1 - Allen, Jonathan A1 - J. Selengut A1 - Haft, Daniel A1 - Mather, Michael W. A1 - Vaidya, Akhil B. A1 - Martin, David M. A. A1 - Fairlamb, Alan H. A1 - Fraunholz, Martin J. A1 - Roos, David S. A1 - Ralph, Stuart A. A1 - McFadden, Geoffrey I. A1 - Cummings, Leda M. A1 - Subramanian, G. Mani A1 - Mungall, Chris A1 - Venter, J. Craig A1 - Carucci, Daniel J. A1 - Hoffman, Stephen L. A1 - Newbold, Chris A1 - Davis, Ronald W. A1 - Fraser, Claire M. A1 - Barrell, Bart KW - Animals KW - Chromosome Structures KW - DNA Repair KW - DNA Replication KW - DNA, Protozoan KW - Evolution, Molecular KW - Genome, Protozoan KW - HUMANS KW - Malaria Vaccines KW - Malaria, Falciparum KW - Membrane Transport Proteins KW - Molecular Sequence Data KW - Plasmodium falciparum KW - Plastids KW - Proteome KW - Protozoan Proteins KW - Recombination, Genetic KW - Sequence Analysis, DNA AB - The parasite Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for hundreds of millions of cases of malaria, and kills more than one million African children annually. Here we report an analysis of the genome sequence of P. falciparum clone 3D7. The 23-megabase nuclear genome consists of 14 chromosomes, encodes about 5,300 genes, and is the most (A + T)-rich genome sequenced to date. Genes involved in antigenic variation are concentrated in the subtelomeric regions of the chromosomes. Compared to the genomes of free-living eukaryotic microbes, the genome of this intracellular parasite encodes fewer enzymes and transporters, but a large proportion of genes are devoted to immune evasion and host-parasite interactions. Many nuclear-encoded proteins are targeted to the apicoplast, an organelle involved in fatty-acid and isoprenoid metabolism. The genome sequence provides the foundation for future studies of this organism, and is being exploited in the search for new drugs and vaccines to fight malaria. VL - 419 N1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12368864?dopt=Abstract ER -