Mutant/mutation
The mutant expresses a mutated msp1 gene in which the last 330 bp of P. berghei msp1 is replaced by the last 318 bp of P. vivax msp1.
The cloned PvMSP1(19) was sequenced and is identical to the sequences of P. vivax Sal-I and Belém strains.

Protein (function)

Phenotype
Normal blood stage growth multiplication in mice. This indicates that replacement of P. berghei ANKA or NK65 MSP119 by the P. vivax MSP119 had no impact on the parasite ability to multiply in the host blood, indicating that host cell invasion, intraerythrocytic schizogony, and merozoite egress of the hybrid mutant merozoites occur normally.

Additional information
From the Abstract:
'The Plasmodium berghei strains ANKA and NK65 were modified to express PvMSP119 instead of the endogenous PbMSP119. The hybrid parasites were used to challenge C57BL/6 or BALB/c mice immunized with PvMSP119-based vaccine formulations. The PvMSP119 was correctly expressed in the P. berghei hybrid mutant lines as confirmed by immunofluorescence using anti-PvMSP119 monoclonal antibodies and by Western blot. Replacement of the PbMSP119 by the PvMSP119 had no impact on asexual growth in vivo. High titers of specific antibodies to PvMSP119 were not sufficient to control initial parasitemia in the immunized mice, but late parasitemia control and a balanced inflammatory process protected these mice from dying, suggesting that an established immune response to PvMSP119 in this model can help immunity mounted later during infection.' 

Other mutants