title: Might Interspecific Interactions between Pathogens Drive Host Evolution? The Case of Plasmodium Species and Duffy-Negativity in Human Populations.
abstract: Malarial infections have long been recognized as a driver of human evolution, as demonstrated by the influence of Plasmodium falciparum on sickle-cell anemia persistence. Duffy-negativity is another blood disorder thought to have been selected because it confers nearly complete resistance against Plasmodium vivax infection. Recent evidence suggests that the benefits of being Duffy-negative cannot be expected to play a strong selective pressure on humans, whereas its costs cannot be considered as negligible. Here, we suggest that the cross-talk between P. falciparum and P. vivax in coinfected children could represent the most parsimonious explanation of the frequency of Duffy-negativity. We discuss how this new hypothesis could be tested and call for a reconsideration of the evolution of the Duffy-negative group.
authors.affiliation: IRD, UMMISCO (UMI IRD/UPMC 209), 32, Avenue Henry Varagnat, 93143 Bondy Cedex France; CNRS, MIVEGEC (UMR CNRS/IRD/UM), 911 Ave. Agropolis, BP 64501, FR-34394 Montpellier cedex 5 France. Electronic address: benjamin.roche@ird.fr.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Roche
authors.affiliation: CNRS, MIVEGEC (UMR CNRS/IRD/UM), 911 Ave. Agropolis, BP 64501, FR-34394 Montpellier cedex 5 France.
authors.forename: Virginie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rougeron
authors.affiliation: Unit of Human Evolutionary Genetics, (CNRS URA3012 Institut Pasteur) 25, rue du Dr Roux 75724 Paris Cedex 15 France.
authors.forename: Lluis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Quintana-Murci
authors.affiliation: CNRS, MIVEGEC (UMR CNRS/IRD/UM), 911 Ave. Agropolis, BP 64501, FR-34394 Montpellier cedex 5 France.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Renaud
authors.affiliation: IRD, UMMISCO (UMI IRD/UPMC 209), 32, Avenue Henry Varagnat, 93143 Bondy Cedex France; CNRS, MIVEGEC (UMR CNRS/IRD/UM), 911 Ave. Agropolis, BP 64501, FR-34394 Montpellier cedex 5 France.
authors.forename: Jessica Lee
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Abbate
authors.affiliation: CNRS, MIVEGEC (UMR CNRS/IRD/UM), 911 Ave. Agropolis, BP 64501, FR-34394 Montpellier cedex 5 France.
authors.forename: Franck
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Prugnolle
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D060085:Coinfection; D004375:Duffy Blood-Group System; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000502:physiology*; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000150:complications* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000150:complications* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000502:physiology*; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004375:Duffy Blood-Group System