De Novo Mutations Resolve Disease Transmission Pathways in Clonal Malaria.

ABSTRACT: Detecting de novo mutations in viral and bacterial pathogens enables researchers to reconstruct detailed networks of disease transmission and is a key technique in genomic epidemiology. However, these techniques have not yet been applied to the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, in which a larger genome, slower generation times, and a complex life cycle make them difficult to implement. Here, we demonstrate the viability of de novo mutation studies in P. falciparum for the first time. Using a combination of sequencing, library preparation, and genotyping methods that have been optimized for accuracy in low-complexity genomic regions, we have detected de novo mutations that distinguish nominally identical parasites from clonal lineages. Despite its slower evolutionary rate compared wi

SUBMITTER: Redmond SN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5995194 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature