title: The clonal theory of parasitic protozoa: 12 years on.
abstract: The question of population structure in parasitic protozoa has recently gained a renewed topicality with significant contributions on medically important pathogens, such as Plasmodium falciparum, Toxoplasma gondii and Cryptosporidium parvum. The proposals that initiated this debate are reviewed here and the subsequent developments of the clonal theory, in light of recent contributions, are examined.
authors.affiliation: UR Génétique des Maladies Infectieuses, UMR Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Institut de Recherche pour le Développement 9926, IRD, BP 64501, 34393 Montpellier Cedex 5, France. michel.tibayrenc@mpl.ird.fr
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tibayrenc
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Ayala
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002999:Clone Cells; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000235:genetics*