title: Extensive polymorphism and ancient origin of Plasmodium falciparum.
abstract: DNA sequence data reveal extensive polymorphism in the virulent, human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. The extent of polymorphism at apparently neutral-evolving loci points to a common ancestor for this species that is no more recent than approximately 150,000-200,000 years ago. In addition, there is evidence of balanced polymorphisms at certain antigen-encoding loci, some of which have been maintained for millions of years. Thus, we can reject the hypothesis that this species underwent a recent extreme bottleneck (i.e. one in which the population was reduced to a single haploid genotype). However, it is possible that less-severe bottlenecks have occurred.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA. austin@biol.sc.edu
authors.forename: Austin L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Verra
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D017125:Genes, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D018503:Genome, Protozoan; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000469:parasitology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA