Chromosome 2 Sequence of the Human Malaria Parasite

Chromosome 2 of Plasmodium falciparum was sequenced; this sequence con-tains 947,103 base pairs and encodes 210 predicted genes. In comparison with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome, chromosome 2 has a lower gene density, introns are more frequent, and proteins are markedly enriched in nonglobular domains. A family of surface proteins, riÞns, that may play a role in antigenic variation was identiÞed. The complete sequencing of chromosome 2 has shown that sequencing of the A1T-rich P. falciparum genome is technically feasible. Malaria, a disease caused by protozoan par-asites of the genus Plasmodium, is one of the most dangerous infectious diseases affecting human populations. Approximately 300 mil-lion to 500 million people are infected annu-ally, and 1.5 million to 2.7 million lives are lost to malaria each year, with most deaths occurring among children in sub-Saharan Af