Circumsporozoite protein
 | This article is missing information about domain structure and function of each [PMID 21262960]. (October 2021) |
Circumsporozoite protein (CSP) is a secreted
sporozoite stage of the malaria parasite (Plasmodium sp.) and is the antigenic target of RTS,S and other malaria vaccines.[1] The amino-acid sequence of CSP consists of an immunodominant central repeat region flanked by conserved motifs at the N- and C- termini that are implicated in protein processing as the parasite travels from the mosquito to the mammalian vector.[2] The amino acid sequence of CSP was determined in 1984.[3][4]
The structure and function of CSP is highly conserved across the various strains of malaria that infect humans, non-human primates and rodents. It can first be detected in large quantities as sporozoites are forming within
proteolytic cleavage at region 1 of the N-terminus exposes the adhesive domain of the C-terminus, thereby priming the parasites for invasion of the liver.[6]
CSP is an approximately 58
kD soluble protein.[7]