Fig. 1
From: Characteristic features of the SERA multigene family in the malaria parasite
Plasmodium sera gene family. a The organization of Plasmodium sera genes and their characteristic gene and protein features. Plasmodium sera genes (denoted as circles) are clustered in tandem and are categorized into four groups based on genetic background. In terms of protein expression, i: Group I SERA is expressed in the mosquito stage and Group II to IV are expressed in the host blood stage. In terms of the protease motif, ii: SERA members containing cysteine residues in the protease active center belong to Groups I to III, while those with a substituted serine residue belong to Group IV. The number of Group IV SERA genes can vary from 1 to 11. b The number of sera genes identified in each group. For Group IV sera and two Group I sera, the number of genes not in tandem cluster is shown in parenthesis. Plasmodium species with humans as a natural host are shown in red. The number of Group IV sera genes in P. adleri is currently unresolved