The high immunogenicity induced by modified sporozoites' malarial peptides depends on their phi (φ) and psi (ψ) angles

The importance of CSP- and STARP-derived phi and psi dihedral angles in mHABP structure was analysed by H-1 NMR in the search for molecules which can be included as components of a first-line-of-defence Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite multi-epitope vaccine against the most lethal form of human malaria. Most of the aforementioned dihedral angles were left-hand-like polyproline type II (PPIIL) structures whilst others had right-hand-like alpha-helix (alpha(R)), thus allowing mHABPS to fit better into MHCII molecules and thereby form an appropriate pMHCII complex and also establish the H-bonds which stabilise such complex and by this means induce an appropriate immune response. This information has great implications for vaccine development, malaria being one of them. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.