Rabbit polyclonal and mouse monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) prepared against synthetic peptides patterned on exofacialloops 3 (amino acids 546–555) and 7 (821–834) of the human anion transport protein band 3 inhibited the cytoadherence of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes to C32 amelanotic melanoma cells. Mabs directed against exofacial loop4 (amino acids 628–642) did not inhibit adherence to a significant degree. The murine Mabs recognized only P. falciparum- infected erythrocytes suggesting that the epitopes of loops 3, 4 and 7 are normally cryptic in uninfected erythrocytes.
