Sympatric Recombination in Zoonotic Cryptosporidium Leads to Emergence of Populations with Modified Host Preference.

ABSTRACT: Genetic recombination plays a critical role in the emergence of pathogens with phenotypes such as drug resistance, virulence, and host adaptation. Here, we tested the hypothesis that recombination between sympatric ancestral populations leads to the emergence of divergent variants of the zoonotic parasite Cryptosporidium parvum with modified host ranges. Comparative genomic analyses of 101 isolates have identified seven subpopulations isolated by distance. They appear to be descendants of two ancestral populations, IIa in northwestern Europe and IId from southwestern Asia. Sympatric recombination in areas with both ancestral subtypes and subsequent selective sweeps have led to the emergence of new subpopulations with mosaic genomes and modified host preference. Subtelomeric genes could be

SUBMITTER: Wang T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9317183 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature