Population Genomic Evidence of Adaptive Response during the Invasion History of Plasmodium falciparum in the Americas.

ABSTRACT: Plasmodium falciparum, the most virulent agent of human malaria, spread from Africa to all continents following the out-of-Africa human migrations. During the transatlantic slave trade between the 16th and 19th centuries, it was introduced twice independently to the Americas where it adapted to new environmental conditions (new human populations and mosquito species). Here, we analyzed the genome-wide polymorphisms of 2,635 isolates across the current P. falciparum distribution range in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas to investigate its genetic structure, invasion history, and selective pressures associated with its adaptation to the American environment. We confirmed that American populations originated from Africa with at least two independent introductions that led to two geneti

SUBMITTER: Lefebvre MJM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10162688 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature