A Novel Erythrocyte Binding Protein of Plasmodium vivax Suggests an Alternate Invasion Pathway into Duffy-Positive Reticulocytes

Abstract

For decades, P. vivax infections in humans have been defined by a unique requirement for the interaction between the Duffy binding protein ligand of the parasite and the Duffy blood group antigen receptor (DARC). Recent reports of P. vivax infections in Duffy-negative individuals challenge this paradigm and suggest an alternate pathway of infection, potentially using the recently discovered EBP2. However, we demonstrate that EBP2 host cell specificity is more restricted than DBP binding and that EBP2 binds preferentially to Duffy-positive, young reticulocytes. This finding indicates that this DBP paralog does mediate a Duffy-independent pathway of infection.