The P. falciparum 3D7 nuclear genome is 23.3 Mb in size, with a karyotype of 14 chromosomes. The G+C content is approximately 19%. The P. falciparum 3D7 genome is undergoing re-annotation.

Published Genome Data

3D7 clone

Responsibility for sequencing the genome was divided on a chromosome by chromsome basis between 3 sequencing centres : The Sanger Institute (U.K.), The Institute for Genomic Research/Naval Medical Research Institute (U.S.A.), and Stanford University.

This work was carried out in collaboration with Chris Newbold of the Molecular Parasitology Group, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford, and Alister Craig of Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

IT strain

A project to shotgun sequence the genome of the IT parasite line is underway as a component of the BioMalPar Consortium (European Union 6th Framework Program, Contract number LSHP-LT-2004-503578). This initiative is in collaboration with Chris Newbold of the Molecular Parasitology Group, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford. Image courtesy of D. Ferguson, Oxford. The shotgun reads, assemblies and preliminary annotation are available for download from our ftp site.

Ghanaian Isolate

To facilitate comparative genomic analyses and to circumvent possible artefacts resulting from the study of laboratory cultured strains we have extended our analyses to a clinical isolate obtained from a female patient at St Georges Hospital London. This project is in collaboration with Chris Newbold of the Molecular Parasitology Group, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Sanjeev Krishna at St George's Hospital Medical School. The shotgun reads and preliminary assembly are available from our ftp site.

• Genome sequence of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.

  Gardner MJ, Hall N, Fung E, White O, Berriman M, Hyman RW, Carlton JM, Pain A, Nelson KE, Bowman S, Paulsen IT, James K, Eisen JA, Rutherford K, Salzberg SL, Craig A, Kyes S, Chan MS, Nene V, Shallom SJ, Suh B, Peterson J, Angiuoli S, Pertea M, Allen J, Selengut J, Haft D, Mather MW, Vaidya AB, Martin DM, Fairlamb AH, Fraunholz MJ, Roos DS, Ralph SA, McFadden GI, Cummings LM, Subramanian GM, Mungall C, Venter JC, Carucci DJ, Hoffman SL, Newbold C, Davis RW, Fraser CM and Barrell B

  Nature 2002;419;6906;498-511

  PUBMED: 12368864; DOI: 10.1038/nature01097

• Sequence of Plasmodium falciparum chromosomes 1, 3-9 and 13.

  Hall N, Pain A, Berriman M, Churcher C, Harris B, Harris D, Mungall K, Bowman S, Atkin R, Baker S, Barron A, Brooks K, Buckee CO, Burrows C, Cherevach I, Chillingworth C, Chillingworth T, Christodoulou Z, Clark L, Clark R, Corton C, Cronin A, Davies R, Davis P, Dear P, Dearden F, Doggett J, Feltwell T, Goble A, Goodhead I, Gwilliam R, Hamlin N, Hance Z, Harper D, Hauser H, Hornsby T, Holroyd S, Horrocks P, Humphray S, Jagels K, James KD, Johnson D, Kerhornou A, Knights A, Konfortov B, Kyes S, Larke N, Lawson D, Lennard N, Line A, Maddison M, McLean J, Mooney P, Moule S, Murphy L, Oliver K, Ormond D, Price C, Quail MA, Rabbinowitsch E, Rajandream MA, Rutter S, Rutherford KM, Sanders M, Simmonds M, Seeger K, Sharp S, Smith R, Squares R, Squares S, Stevens K, Taylor K, Tivey A, Unwin L, Whitehead S, Woodward J, Sulston JE, Craig A, Newbold C and Barrell BG

  Nature 2002;419;6906;527-31

  PUBMED: 12368867; DOI: 10.1038/nature01095

• The complete nucleotide sequence of chromosome 3 of Plasmodium falciparum.

  Bowman S, Lawson D, Basham D, Brown D, Chillingworth T, Churcher CM, Craig A, Davies RM, Devlin K, Feltwell T, Gentles S, Gwilliam R, Hamlin N, Harris D, Holroyd S, Hornsby T, Horrocks P, Jagels K, Jassal B, Kyes S, McLean J, Moule S, Mungall K, Murphy L, Oliver K, Quail MA, Rajandream MA, Rutter S, Skelton J, Squares R, Squares S, Sulston JE, Whitehead S, Woodward JR, Newbold C and Barrell BG

  Nature 1999;400;6744;532-8

  PUBMED: 10448855; DOI: 10.1038/22964