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Genome sequences reveal divergence times of malaria parasite lineages

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2010

JOANA C. SILVA ,
AMY EGAN ,
ROBERT FRIEDMAN ,
JAMES B. MUNRO ,
JANE M. CARLTON  and
AUSTIN L. HUGHES
JOANA C. SILVA
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
AMY EGAN
Affiliation:
Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
ROBERT FRIEDMAN
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
JAMES B. MUNRO
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
JANE M. CARLTON
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Parasitology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10011, USA
AUSTIN L. HUGHES*
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
*
*Corresponding author: Tel: +1-803-777-9186. E-mail: [email protected]
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Summary

Objective

The evolutionary history of human malaria parasites (genus Plasmodium) has long been a subject of speculation and controversy. The complete genome sequences of the two most widespread human malaria parasites, P. falciparum and P. vivax, and of the monkey parasite P. knowlesi are now available, together with the draft genomes of the chimpanzee parasite P. reichenowi, three rodent parasites, P. yoelii yoelli, P. berghei and P. chabaudi chabaudi, and one avian parasite, P. gallinaceum.

Methods

We present here an analysis of 45 orthologous gene sequences across the eight species that resolves the relationships of major Plasmodium lineages, and provides the first comprehensive dating of the age of those groups.

Results

Our analyses support the hypothesis that the last common ancestor of P. falciparum and the chimpanzee parasite P. reichenowi occurred around the time of the human-chimpanzee divergence. P. falciparum infections of African apes are most likely derived from humans and not the other way around. On the other hand, P. vivax, split from the monkey parasite P. knowlesi in the much more distant past, during the time that encompasses the separation of the Great Apes and Old World Monkeys.

Conclusion

The results support an ancient association between malaria parasites and their primate hosts, including humans.

Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 138 , Special Issue 13: Systematics as a cornerstone of parasitology , November 2011 , pp. 1737 - 1749
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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