Skip to main content
WCS
Menu
Library
Library Catalog
eJournals & eBooks
WCS Research
Archives
Research Use
Finding Aids
Digital Collections
WCS History
WCS Research
Research Publications
Science Data
Services for WCS Researchers
Archives Shop
Bronx Zoo
Department of Tropical Research
Browse By Product
About Us
FAQs
Intern or Volunteer
Staff
Donate
Search WCS.org
Search
search
Popular Search Terms
WCS History
Library and Archives
Library and Archives Menu
Library
Archives
WCS Research
Archives Shop
About Us
Donate
en
fr
Title
Zoonotic origin of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium malariae from African apes
Author(s)
Plenderleith, Lindsey J.; Liu, Weimin; Li, Yingying; Loy, Dorothy E.; Mollison, Ewan; Connell, Jesse; Ayouba, Ahidjo; Esteban, Amandine; Peeters, Martine; Sanz, Crickette M.; Morgan, David B.; Wolfe, Nathan D.; Ulrich, Markus; Sachse, Andreas; Calvignac-Spencer, Sébastien; Leendertz, Fabian H.; Shaw, George M.; Hahn, Beatrice H.; Sharp, Paul M.
Published
2022
Publisher
Nature Communications
Published Version DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29306-4
Abstract
The human parasite Plasmodium malariae has relatives infecting African apes (Plasmodium rodhaini) and New World monkeys (Plasmodium brasilianum), but its origins remain unknown. Using a novel approach to characterise P. malariae-related sequences in wild and captive African apes, we found that this group comprises three distinct lineages, one of which represents a previously unknown, highly divergent species infecting chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas across central Africa. A second ape-derived lineage is much more closely related to the third, human-infective lineage P. malariae, but exhibits little evidence of genetic exchange with it, and so likely represents a separate species. Moreover, the levels and nature of genetic polymorphisms in P. malariae indicate that it resulted from the zoonotic transmission of an African ape parasite, reminiscent of the origin of P. falciparum. In contrast, P. brasilianum falls within the radiation of human P. malariae, and thus reflects a recent anthroponosis.
Keywords
genome informatics; malaria; parasite evolution; parasite genomics
Access Full Text
A full-text copy of this article may be available. Please email the
WCS Library
to request.
Back
PUB27487