The group is led by Dr. Jürgen Kun. After finishing his doctoral thesis in Cologne at the Institute of Genetics, J.K. joined the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne, Australia, for two years and the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Brisbane, Australia, for another three years. In 1996 J.K. became a member of the Department of Parasitology at the Institute for Tropical Medicine in Tübingen as Group leader and is in charge of the DNA Sequencing Unit. He is conducting research in collaboration with the Medical Research Unit of the Albert Schweitzer Hospital.

The group is mainly working on the interactions of host and parasites. The main research topics are polymorphisms of the human host and the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and how these polymorphisms can influence malaria. Since malaria is endemic in tropical Africa the main focus lies on polymorphisms present in African populations. A close collaboration is established with the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon where the clinical and epidemiological studies are taking place. In the past years a number of mutations could be detected in the promoter region of the genes coding for the nitric oxide synthase 2, interleukin-10 and interferon gamma receptor. How and whether these mutations change the expression of the relevant genes is the field of interest. For the NOS2 mutation, termed NOS2^Lambaréné, it could be shown that carriers of this mutation were protected against severe malaria in the same range like the sickle cell trait protects its carriers.

Currently, a collaboration was established with the Tran Hung Dao Hospital in Vietnam to investigate the effects of humans polymorphisms in hepatitis B virus infections.

Selected publications 

Kun JFJ, Hibbs A, Saul A, McColl DJ, Coppel RL, Anders RF. A putative Plasmodium falciparum-exported serine/threonine protein kinase. Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology 85: 41-51 (1997) [Abstract]

Kun JFJ, Kremsner PG, Kretschmer H. Malaria acquired 13 times in two years in Germany. New England Journal of Medicine 337: 1636 (1997)

Luty AJF, Kun JFJ, Kremsner PG. Mannose-binding lectin plasma levels and gene polymorphisms in Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Journal of Infectious Diseases 178: 1221-1224 (1998) [Abstract]

Kun JFJ, Mordmüller B, Lell B, Lehman LG, Luckner D, Kremsner PG. Polymorphism in promoter region of inducible nitric oxide synthase gene and protection against malaria. Lancet 351: 265-266 (1998)

Kun JFJ, Klabunde J, Lell B, Luckner D, Alpers M, May J, Meyer C, Kremsner PG. Association of the ICAM-1 Kilifi mutation with protection against severe malaria in Lambaréné, Gabon. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 61: 776-779 (1999) [Full Article]

Klabunde J, Berger J, Jensenius JC, Klinkert MQ, Zelck UE, Kremsner PG, Kun JFJ. Schistosoma mansoni: Adhesion of mannan-binding lection to surface glycoproteins of cercariae and adult worms. Experimental Parasitology 95: 231-239 (2000) [Abstract]

Khattab A, Kun JFJ, Deloron P, Kremsner PG, Klinkert MQ. Variants of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 expressed by different placental parasites are closely related and adhere to chondroitin sulfate A. Journal of Infectious Diseases 183: 1165-1169 (2001) [Abstract]

Kun JFJ, Mordmüller B, Perkins DJ, May J, Mercereau-Puijalon O, Alpers M, Weinberg JB, Kremsner PG. Nitric oxide synthase 2Lambarene (G-954C), increased nitric oxide production, and protection against malaria. Journal of Infectious Diseases 184: 330-336 (2001) [Abstract]

Uhlemann AC, Oguariri RM, McColl DJ, Coppel RL, Kremsner PG, Anders RF, Kun JFJ. Properties of the Plasmodium falciparum homologue of a protective vaccine candidate of Plasmodium yoelii. Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology 118: 41-48 (2001) [Abstract]

Oguariri RM, Borrmann S, Klinkert MQ, Kremsner PG, Kun JFJ. High prevalence of human antibodies to recombinant duffy binding-like alpha domains of the Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocyte membrane protein 1 in semi-immune adults compared to that in nonimmune children. Infection and Immunity 69: 7603-7609 (2001) [Full Article]

Klabunde J, Uhlemann AC, Tebo AE, Kimmel J, Schwarz RT, Kremsner PG, Kun JFJ. Recognition of Plasmodium falciparum proteins by mannan-binding lectin, a component of the human innate immune system. Parasitology Research 88: 113-117 (2002) [Abstract]

Hansen M, Kun JFJ, Schultz JE, Beitz E. A single, bifunctional aquaglyceroporin in blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites. Journal of Biological Chemistry 277: 4874-4882 (2002) [Full Article]

Krishna S, Eckstein-Ludwig U, Joet T, Uhlemann AC, Morin C, Webb R, Woodrow C, Kun JFJ, Kremsner PG. Transport processes in Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes: potential as new drug targets. International Journal of Parasitology 32: 1567-1573 (2002) [Abstract]

Song LH, Binh VQ, Duy DN, Jüliger S, Bock TC, Luty AJF, Kremsner PG, Kun JFJ. Mannose-binding lectin gene polymorphisms and hepatitis B virus infection in Vietnamese patients. Mutation Research 522: 119-125 (2003) [Abstract]

Jüliger S, Bongartz M, Luty AJF, Kremsner PG, Kun JFJ. Functional analysis of a promoter variant of the gene encoding the interferon-gamma receptor chain I. Immunogenetics 54: 675-680 (2003) [Abstract]

Uhlemann AC, Szlezak NA, Vonthein B, Tomiuk J, Emmer SA, Lell B, Kremsner PG, Kun JFJ. DNA phasing by TA dinucleotide microsatellite length determines in vitro and in vivo expression of the gp91 phox subunit of NADPH oxidase and mediates protection against severe malaria. Journal of Infectious Diseases 189: 2227-2234 (2004) [Abstract]