Genetic mapping of fitness determinants across the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum life cycle.

ABSTRACT: Determining the genetic basis of fitness is central to understanding evolution and transmission of microbial pathogens. In human malaria parasites (Plasmodium falciparum), most experimental work on fitness has focused on asexual blood stage parasites, because this stage can be easily cultured, although the transmission of malaria requires both female Anopheles mosquitoes and vertebrate hosts. We explore a powerful approach to identify the genetic determinants of parasite fitness across both invertebrate and vertebrate life-cycle stages of P. falciparum. This combines experimental genetic crosses using humanized mice, with selective whole genome amplification and pooled sequencing to determine genome-wide allele frequencies and identify genomic regions under selection across multiple lifecy

SUBMITTER: Li X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6821138 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature