biostudies-literaturePlenderleith LJNIAID NIH HHSU.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health1868https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC8987028biostudies-literatureUnknown13(1)The human parasite Plasmodium malariae has relatives infecting African apes (Plasmodium rodhaini) and New World monkeys (Plasmodium brasilianum), but its origins remain unknown. Using a novel approach to characterise P. malariae-related sequences in wild and captive African apes, we found that this group comprises three distinct lineages, one of which represents a previously unknown, highly divergent species infecting chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas across central Africa. A second ape-derived lineage is much more closely related to the third, human-infective lineage P. malariae, but exhibits little evidence of genetic exchange with it, and so likely represents a separate species. Moreover, the levels and nature of genetic polymorphisms in P. malariae indicate that it resulted from the zoNature communicationsZoonotic origin of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium malariae from African apes.PMC8987028R01 AI120810R01 AI050529P30 AI045008R01 AI091595Sanz CMPlenderleith LJUlrich MMollison EEsteban APeeters MLeendertz FHCalvignac-Spencer SLiu WLoy DEMorgan DBShaw GMLi YWolfe NDConnell JHahn BHAyouba ASharp PMSachse AfalseZoonotic origin of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium malariae from African apes.The human parasite Plasmodium malariae has relatives infecting African apes (Plasmodium rodhaini) and New World monkeys (Plasmodium brasilianum), but its origins remain unknown. Using a novel approach to characterise P. malariae-related sequences in wild and captive African apes, we found that this group comprises three distinct lineages, one of which represents a previously unknown, highly divergent species infecting chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas across central Africa. A second ape-derived lineage is much more closely related to the third, human-infective lineage P. malariae, but exhibits little evidence of genetic exchange with it, and so likely represents a separate species. Moreover, the levels and nature of genetic polymorphisms in P. malariae indicate that it resulted from the zo2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Apr2025-06-01T12:11:31.377Z2025-06-01T12:11:31.377ZS-EPMC89870283538798610.1038/s41467-022-29306-4