The distribution of enzyme variation in populations of Plasmodium falciparum in Africa

Abstract

Isolates of Plasmodium falciparum collected from the east and west coasts of tropical Africa and also from several inland regions have been examined for electrophoretic forms of the enzymes GPI, LDH and 6PGD. Variation within and between isolates was found in the parasite forms of all three enzymes. While not disproving the existence of genetic divisions between P. falciparum populations in Africa the distribution of this variation provides no evidence for such a hypothesis.