Early origin and recent expansion of Plasmodium falciparum.
The emergence of virulent Plasmodium falciparum in Africa within the past 6000 years as a result of a cascade of changes in human behavior and mosquito transmission has recently been hypothesized. Here, we provide genetic evidence for a sudden increase in the African malaria parasite population about 10,000 years ago, followed by migration to other regions on the basis of variation in 100 worldwide mitochondrial DNA sequences. However, both the world and some regional populations appear to be older (50,000 to 100,000 years old), suggesting an earlier wave of migration out of Africa, perhaps during the Pleistocene migration of human beings.
Joy
Deirdre A
DA
Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0425, USA. djoy@niaid.nih.gov
Feng
Xiaorong
X
Mu
Jianbing
J
Furuya
Tetsuya
T
Chotivanich
Kesinee
K
Krettli
Antoniana U
AU
Ho
May
M
Wang
Alex
A
White
Nicholas J
NJ
Suh
Edward
E
Beerli
Peter
P
Su
Xin-zhuan
XZ
D000349:Africa; D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D001208:Asia; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D014644:Genetic Variation; D018503:Genome, Protozoan; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D007438:Introns; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D009154:Mutation; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000235:genetics; D010219:Papua New Guinea; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000235:genetics; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011156:Population Density; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013020:South America; D013995:Time
D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal