title: Clonal variation of gene expression as a source of phenotypic diversity in parasitic protozoa.
abstract: Within a cellular clone, individual cells can express different members of a gene family. If the difference in expression is transmitted to daughter cells, 'phenotypic clones' are formed. Such clonal phenotypic variation has evolved independently in phylogenetically distant parasitic protozoa under similar selective pressure: the need for phenotypic diversity at several steps of their life cycle. Here, I review clonal phenotypic variation processes, outline their role in parasite biology and argue that clonal phenotypic variation is complementary to sexual reproduction as a source of phenotypic diversity.
authors.affiliation: CEPM, UMR CNRS-IRD 9926, 911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 5045, 34032 Montpellier Cedex 1, France. meunier@mpl.ird.fr
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Meunier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D010641:Phenotype; D011528:Protozoan Infections / Q000469:parasitology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins