Phylogenetics and genomic variation of Hepatocystis isolated from shotgun sequencing of wild primate hosts.

ABSTRACT: Hepatocystis are apicomplexan parasites nested within the Plasmodium genus that infect primates and other vertebrates, yet few isolates have been genetically characterized. Using taxonomic classification and mapping characteristics, we searched for Hepatocystis infections within publicly available, blood-derived whole genome sequence (WGS) data from 326 wild non-human primates (NHPs) in 17 genera. We identified 37 Hepatocystis infections in Papio cynocephalus (yellow baboons) and four species of Chlorocebus monkeys (grivets, green monkeys, vervet monkeys, and malbroucks) sampled from locations in west, east, and south Africa. Hepatocystis cytb sequences from Papio and Chlorocebus hosts each clustered within host species among previously reported isolates from other NHP taxa. Utilizing the

SUBMITTER: Haffener PE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12187015 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature