Characterization and application of multiple genetic markers for Plasmodium malariae - PubMed (original) (raw)

Characterization and application of multiple genetic markers for Plasmodium malariae

M C Bruce et al. Parasitology. 2007 May.

Abstract

Plasmodium malariae, a protozoan parasite that causes malaria in humans, has a global distribution in tropical and subtropical regions and is commonly found in sympatry with other Plasmodium species of humans. Little is known about the genetics or population structure of P. malariae. In the present study, we describe polymorphic genetic markers for P. malariae and present the first molecular epidemiological data for this parasite. Six microsatellite or minisatellite markers were validated using 76 P. malariae samples from a diverse geographical range. The repeat unit length varied from 2 to 17 bp, and up to 10 different alleles per locus were detected. Multiple genotypes of P. malariae were detected in 33 of 70 samples from humans with naturally acquired infection. Heterozygosity was calculated to be between 0.236 and 0.811. Allelic diversity was reduced for samples from South America and, at some loci, in samples from Thailand compared with those from Malawi. The number of unique multilocus genotypes defined using the 6 markers was significantly greater in Malawi than in Thailand, even when data from single genotype infections were used. There was a significant reduction in the multiplicity of infection in symptomatic infections compared with asymptomatic ones, suggesting that clinical episodes are usually caused by the expansion of a single genotype.

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Figures

Fig. 1

Fig. 1

Allele frequencies for the 6 polymorphic Plasmodium malariae microsatellite loci.

Fig. 2

Fig. 2

Number of Plasmodium malariae genotypes per sample recorded for 70 samples from humans with naturally acquired infections for which data for any of the 6 loci were available.

Fig. 3

Fig. 3

Comparison of the number of Plasmodium malariae genotypes per sample in symptomatic (_n_=19) and asymptomatic (_n_=33) samples of naturally acquired human infections for which data were available at all 6 microsatellite loci.

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