Genetic diversity of the malaria vaccine candidate PfRIPR in a high transmission region of Senegal

RH5-interacting protein (RIPR) is essential for the invasion of <i>Plasmodium</i> into host red blood cells and is currently being studied as a novel malaria vaccine candidate in Phase 1a clinical trials. To study the genetic diversity of RIPR, deep amplicon sequencing was used to identify RIPR mutations in <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> clinical isolates (<i>n</i> = 89) collected in Kédougou, a high malaria transmission region of Senegal. We identified non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 64/89 (71.9%) of samples. In total, 26 non-synonymous SNPs were identified, including 15 novel SNPs. Sixteen of 26 SNPs could be threaded onto existing PfRIPR crystal structures to predict the effects of SNPs on RIPR stability. Seven of 16 mutations were predicted to destabilize PfRIPR, while two of 16 were predicted to increase the stability of RIPR. Additionally, we identified 3 SNPs (Q737K, T738K, and V840L) in the EGF5-8 domains of PfRIPR where neutralizing antibodies are known to bind.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
iScience
Published
2026-02-03
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.114883
Primary Topic
Malaria Research and Control
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Genetic diversity of the malaria vaccine candidate PfRIPR in a high transmission region of Senegal

Rebecca Li, Seynabou D. Sene, Alassane Mbengue, Aboubacar Ba et al.
iScience
Malaria Research and Control
article

Genetic diversity of the malaria vaccine candidate PfRIPR in a high transmission region of Senegal

Rebecca Li, Seynabou D. Sene, Alassane Mbengue, Aboubacar Ba, Kelly A. Hagadorn, Laty Gaye Thiam, Mariama N. Pouye, Bacary Djilocalisse Sadio, Alyssa Agarwal, Gayla Geering, Saurabh D. Patel, Elizabeth Zhang, Khadidiatou Mangou, Noemi Guerra, Adam J. Moore, Yome Tawaldemedhen, Megha A Nair, Zizhang Sheng, Awa Cisse, Lawrence Shapiro, Fatoumata Diallo, Yujie Qiao, Amy K. Bei, Ines Vigan-Womas, Qin Xiao
article en

Abstract

RH5-interacting protein (RIPR) is essential for the invasion of <i>Plasmodium</i> into host red blood cells and is currently being studied as a novel malaria vaccine candidate in Phase 1a clinical trials. To study the genetic diversity of RIPR, deep amplicon sequencing was used to identify RIPR mutations in <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> clinical isolates (<i>n</i> = 89) collected in Kédougou, a high malaria transmission region of Senegal. We identified non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 64/89 (71.9%) of samples. In total, 26 non-synonymous SNPs were identified, including 15 novel SNPs. Sixteen of 26 SNPs could be threaded onto existing PfRIPR crystal structures to predict the effects of SNPs on RIPR stability. Seven of 16 mutations were predicted to destabilize PfRIPR, while two of 16 were predicted to increase the stability of RIPR. Additionally, we identified 3 SNPs (Q737K, T738K, and V840L) in the EGF5-8 domains of PfRIPR where neutralizing antibodies are known to bind.

iScienceVol. 29(3)
Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center (US), Yale University (US), Institut Pasteur de Dakar (SN), Columbia University (US)
Zero hunger
Openalex Percentile: Top 72%
Malaria Research and Control
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.