Abstract
Malaria is a serious deadly disease in Nigeria, for long prevention and treatment of the disease depend heavenly on different classes of synthetic drugs. However, Plasmodium falciparum has developed resistance to almost all the classes of synthetic antimalarial drug in use, including the most recently recommended drugs (Artemisinin based Combination Therapies). The aim of this research was to identify and characterize molecular markers associated with drug resistance in PFMDR-1 genes of Plasmodium falciparum from Gombe L.G.A. Two hundred (200) study subject were recruited for the research from three selected hospital. Blood samples were collected using vein puncture technique and analysed using Giemsa stain, Rapid diagnostic Test and Polymerase Chain Reaction. Zymo DNA extraction kit was used to extract the DNA sample from 167 sample confirmed to be positive by microscopy. Nanodrop was used to determine the concentration and purity of the extracted DNA. Fifty seven (57) true-positive samples with high DNA concentration and purity were selected and used for the molecular analysis. Nested PCR was used to amplify the portion of the selected genes and the amplicons were sequenced for the actual determination of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in PFMD R-1gene. Single point mutation was observed in four of the variant (N86Y, Y184F, N1042D and D1246Y) highest prevalence of 34(59.64%) was from Y184F variant. Conclusively, some basic bio molecular makers of PFMDR-1 gene were reported from Gombe L.G.A. Further research should be carried out in the local government using large sample size and target some other candidate bio markers of the gene.

Key words: Malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, Resistance, PFMDR-1, Gombe