title: The rediscovery of malaria parasites of ungulates.
abstract: Over a hundred years since their first description in 1913, the sparsely described malaria parasites (genus Plasmodium) of ungulates have been rediscovered using molecular typing techniques. In the span of weeks, three studies have appeared describing the genetic characterization and phylogenetic analyses of malaria parasites from African antelope (Cephalophus spp.) and goat (Capra aegagrus hircus), Asian water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), and North American white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Here we unify the contributions from those studies with the literature on pre-molecular characterizations of ungulate malaria parasites, which are largely based on surveys of Giemsa-reagent stained blood smears. We present a phylogenetic tree generated from all available ungulate malaria parasite sequence data, and show that parasites from African duiker antelope and goat, Asian water buffalo and New World white-tailed deer group together in a clade, which branches early in Plasmodium evolution. Anopheline mosquitoes appear to be the dominant, if not sole vectors for parasite transmission. We pose questions for future phylogenetic studies, and discuss topics that we hope will spur further molecular and cellular studies of ungulate malaria parasites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Protozoology,Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University,1-12-4 Sakamoto,Nagasaki 852-8523,Japan.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Templeton
authors.affiliation: Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics,Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute,National Zoological Park,Washington,DC 20013-7012,USA.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martinsen
authors.affiliation: The Veterinary Parasitology Unit,Department of Pathology,Faculty of Veterinary Science,Chulalongkorn University,Bangkok 10330,Thailand.
authors.forename: Morakot
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaewthamasorn
authors.affiliation: Department of Protozoology,Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University,1-12-4 Sakamoto,Nagasaki 852-8523,Japan.
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kaneko
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D000818:Animals; D001208:Asia; D001769:Blood / Q000469:parasitology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008288:Malaria / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008853:Microscopy; D009656:North America; D010802:Phylogeny; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012418:Ruminants / Q000469:parasitology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
keywords: Apicomplexa; Haemosporidia; malaria; malaria parasites; ruminants; ungulates