African origin of the malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax

Weimin Liu, Yingying Li, Katharina S. Shaw, Gerald H. Learn, Lindsey J. Plenderleith, Jordan A. Malenke, Sesh A. Sundararaman, Miguel A. Ramirez, Patricia A. Crystal, Andrew G. Smith, Frederic Bibollet-Ruche, Ahidjo Ayouba, Sabrina Locatelli, Amandine Esteban, Fatima Mouacha, Emilande Guichet, Christelle Butel, Steve Ahuka-Mundeke, Bila-Isia Inogwabini, Jean-Bosco N. Ndjango, Sheri Speede, Crickette M. Sanz, David B. Morgan, Mary K. Gonder, Philip J. Kranzusch, Peter D. Walsh, Alexander V. Georgiev, Martin N. Muller, Alex K. Piel, Fiona A. Stewart, Michael L. Wilson, Anne E. Pusey, Liwang Cui, Zenglei Wang, Anna Färnert, Colin J. Sutherland, Debbie Nolder, John A. Hart, Terese B. Hart, Paco Bertolani, Amethyst Gillis, Matthew LeBreton, Babila Tafon, John Kiyang, Cyrille F. Djoko, Bradley S. Schneider, Nathan D. Wolfe, Eitel Mpoudi-Ngole, Eric Delaporte, Richard Carter, Richard L. Culleton, George M. Shaw, Julian C. Rayner, Martine Peeters, Beatrice H. Hahn and Paul M. Sharp ()
Additional contact information
Weimin Liu: University of Pennsylvania
Yingying Li: University of Pennsylvania
Katharina S. Shaw: Columbia University
Gerald H. Learn: University of Pennsylvania
Lindsey J. Plenderleith: Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh
Jordan A. Malenke: University of Pennsylvania
Sesh A. Sundararaman: University of Pennsylvania
Miguel A. Ramirez: University of Pennsylvania
Patricia A. Crystal: University of Pennsylvania
Andrew G. Smith: University of Pennsylvania
Frederic Bibollet-Ruche: University of Pennsylvania
Ahidjo Ayouba: Unité Mixte Internationale 233 Institut de Recherche pour le Développement and University of Montpellier 1
Sabrina Locatelli: Unité Mixte Internationale 233 Institut de Recherche pour le Développement and University of Montpellier 1
Amandine Esteban: Unité Mixte Internationale 233 Institut de Recherche pour le Développement and University of Montpellier 1
Fatima Mouacha: Unité Mixte Internationale 233 Institut de Recherche pour le Développement and University of Montpellier 1
Emilande Guichet: Unité Mixte Internationale 233 Institut de Recherche pour le Développement and University of Montpellier 1
Christelle Butel: Unité Mixte Internationale 233 Institut de Recherche pour le Développement and University of Montpellier 1
Steve Ahuka-Mundeke: Unité Mixte Internationale 233 Institut de Recherche pour le Développement and University of Montpellier 1
Bila-Isia Inogwabini: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Jean-Bosco N. Ndjango: Faculty of Sciences, University of Kisangani
Sheri Speede: Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Center
Crickette M. Sanz: Washington University
David B. Morgan: Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program
Mary K. Gonder: University at Albany, State University of New York
Philip J. Kranzusch: University of California
Peter D. Walsh: University of Cambridge
Alexander V. Georgiev: Harvard University
Martin N. Muller: University of New Mexico
Alex K. Piel: University of Cambridge
Fiona A. Stewart: University of Cambridge
Michael L. Wilson: University of Minnesota
Anne E. Pusey: Duke University
Liwang Cui: Pennsylvania State University, University Park
Zenglei Wang: Pennsylvania State University, University Park
Anna Färnert: Infectious Disease Unit, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital
Colin J. Sutherland: Public Health England Malaria Reference Laboratory, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Debbie Nolder: Public Health England Malaria Reference Laboratory, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
John A. Hart: Lukuru Wildlife Research Foundation, Tshuapa-Lomami-Lualaba Project
Terese B. Hart: Lukuru Wildlife Research Foundation, Tshuapa-Lomami-Lualaba Project
Paco Bertolani: Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies, University of Cambridge
Amethyst Gillis: Global Viral Forecasting Initiative
Matthew LeBreton: Global Viral Forecasting Initiative
Babila Tafon: Ape Action Africa
John Kiyang: Limbe Wildlife Centre
Cyrille F. Djoko: Global Viral Forecasting Initiative
Bradley S. Schneider: Global Viral Forecasting Initiative
Nathan D. Wolfe: Global Viral Forecasting Initiative
Eitel Mpoudi-Ngole: Institut de Recherches Médicales et d’Études des Plantes Médicinales Prévention du Sida au Cameroun, Centre de Recherche Médicale
Eric Delaporte: Unité Mixte Internationale 233 Institut de Recherche pour le Développement and University of Montpellier 1
Richard Carter: Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, University of Edinburgh
Richard L. Culleton: Malaria Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University
George M. Shaw: University of Pennsylvania
Julian C. Rayner: Malaria Programme, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus
Martine Peeters: Unité Mixte Internationale 233 Institut de Recherche pour le Développement and University of Montpellier 1
Beatrice H. Hahn: University of Pennsylvania
Paul M. Sharp: Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh

Nature Communications, 2014, vol. 5, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Plasmodium vivax is the leading cause of human malaria in Asia and Latin America but is absent from most of central Africa due to the near fixation of a mutation that inhibits the expression of its receptor, the Duffy antigen, on human erythrocytes. The emergence of this protective allele is not understood because P. vivax is believed to have originated in Asia. Here we show, using a non-invasive approach, that wild chimpanzees and gorillas throughout central Africa are endemically infected with parasites that are closely related to human P. vivax. Sequence analyses reveal that ape parasites lack host specificity and are much more diverse than human parasites, which form a monophyletic lineage within the ape parasite radiation. These findings indicate that human P. vivax is of African origin and likely selected for the Duffy-negative mutation. All extant human P. vivax parasites are derived from a single ancestor that escaped out of Africa.

Date: 2014
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4346

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