title: Genome-scale comparison of expanded gene families in Plasmodium ovale wallikeri and Plasmodium ovale curtisi with Plasmodium malariae and with other Plasmodium species.
abstract: Malaria in humans is caused by six species of Plasmodium parasites, of which the nuclear genome sequences for the two Plasmodium ovale spp., P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri, and Plasmodium malariae have not yet been analyzed. Here we present an analysis of the nuclear genome sequences of these three parasites, and describe gene family expansions therein. Plasmodium ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri are genetically distinct but morphologically indistinguishable and have sympatric ranges through the tropics of Africa, Asia and Oceania. Both P. ovale spp. show expansion of the surfin variant gene family, and an amplification of the Plasmodium interspersed repeat (pir) superfamily which results in an approximately 30% increase in genome size. For comparison, we have also analyzed the draft nuclear genome of P. malariae, a malaria parasite causing mild malaria symptoms with a quartan life cycle, long-term chronic infections, and wide geographic distribution. Plasmodium malariae shows only a moderate level of expansion of pir genes, and unique expansions of a highly diverged transmembrane protein family with over 550 members and the gamete P25/27 gene family. The observed diversity in the P. ovale wallikeri and P. ovale curtisi surface antigens, combined with their phylogenetic separation, supports consideration that the two parasites be given species status.
authors.affiliation: Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Jeddah 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hifzur Rahman
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Ansari
authors.affiliation: Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York 10021, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Templeton
authors.affiliation: Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Jeddah 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Amit Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Subudhi
authors.affiliation: Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Jeddah 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abhinay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramaprasad
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of National Health and Family Planning Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jianxia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of National Health and Family Planning Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Jeddah 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Raeece
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Naeem
authors.affiliation: Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Jeddah 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Yasmeen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hashish
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology & Infection, Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mary C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Oguike
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ernest Diez
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Benavente
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Taane G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology & Infection, Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Public Health England Malaria Reference Laboratory, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Colin J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Sutherland
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329-4027, USA.
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Barnwell
authors.affiliation: Malaria Unit, Department of Pathology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan. Electronic address: richard@nagasaki-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Culleton
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of National Health and Family Planning Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: jipdjoe@163.com.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Jeddah 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia; Global Station for Zoonosis Control, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, N20 W10 Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan. Electronic address: arnab.pain@kaust.edu.sa.
authors.forename: Arnab
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pain
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000354:Africa, Western; D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000235:genetics; D002681:China; D000090266:Chromobox Protein Homolog 5; D014644:Genetic Variation; D018503:Genome, Protozoan; D006801:Humans; D020071:Interspersed Repetitive Sequences / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D016790:Plasmodium knowlesi / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D010965:Plasmodium malariae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D041122:Plasmodium ovale / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000954:Antigens, Surface; C000715594:CBX5 protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D000090266:Chromobox Protein Homolog 5
keywords: P25/27; PIR; Plasmodium malariae; Plasmodium ovale curtisi; Plasmodium ovale spp.; Plasmodium ovale wallikeri; RBP-2; SURFIN