Phylogenetic analysis of CSP and MSP-9 gene sequences demonstrates the close relationship of Plasmodium coatneyi to Plasmodium knowlesi
✍ Scribed by Esmeralda Vargas-Serrato; Vladimir Corredor; Mary R. Galinski
- Publisher
- Elsevier Science
- Year
- 2003
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 280 KB
- Volume
- 3
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1567-1348
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✦ Synopsis
Plasmodium coatneyi is a simian malaria parasite with various biological features similar to the human malaria P. falciparum and potential as a model for severe cases of malaria. We have characterized two single-copy genes from P. coatneyi, the circumsporozoite protein and merozoite surface protein-9 genes, and determined its phylogenetic relationship among Plasmodium species. This study demonstrates that while it has similarities to P. falciparum, P. coatneyi belongs to a distant clade including several simian malaria parasites and the human malaria P. vivax. P. coatneyi forms a monophyletic group with P. knowlesi, demonstrating their close relationship despite some very distinctive biological characteristics.