Genome-wide mosaicism in divergence between zoonotic malaria parasite subpopulations with separate sympatric transmission cycles.

ABSTRACT: Plasmodium knowlesi is a significant cause of human malaria transmitted as a zoonosis from macaque reservoir hosts in South-East Asia. Microsatellite genotyping has indicated that human infections in Malaysian Borneo are an admixture of two highly divergent sympatric parasite subpopulations that are, respectively, associated with long-tailed macaques (Cluster 1) and pig-tailed macaques (Cluster 2). Whole-genome sequences of clinical isolates subsequently confirmed the separate clusters, although fewer of the less common Cluster 2 type were sequenced. Here, to analyse population structure and genomic divergence in subpopulation samples of comparable depth, genome sequences were generated from 21 new clinical infections identified as Cluster 2 by microsatellite analysis, yielding a cumulativ

SUBMITTER: Divis PCS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5918592 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature