Population genomic evidence of <i>Plasmodium vivax</i> Southeast Asian origin.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 33910900.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.abc3713 and PMC identifier 8081369.
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Abstract
<i>Plasmodium vivax</i> is the most common and widespread human malaria parasite. It was recently proposed that <i>P. vivax</i> originates from sub-Saharan Africa based on the circulation of its closest genetic relatives (<i>P. vivax-like</i>) among African great apes. However, the limited number of genetic markers and samples investigated questions the robustness of this hypothesis. Here, we extensively characterized the genomic variations of 447 human <i>P. vivax</i> strains and 19 ape <i>P. vivax-like</i> strains collected worldwide. Phylogenetic relationships between human and ape <i>Plasmodium</i> strains revealed that <i>P. vivax</i> is a sister clade of <i>P. vivax-like</i>, not included within the radiation of <i>P. vivax-like</i> By investigating various aspects of <i>P. vivax</i> genetic variation, we identified several notable geographical patterns in summary statistics in function of the increasing geographic distance from Southeast Asia, suggesting that <i>P. vivax</i> may have derived from a single area in Asia through serial founder effects.