Journal Article

Genomic and transcriptomic evidence for descent from Plasmodium and loss of blood schizogony in Hepatocystis parasites from naturally infected red colobus monkeys

Böhme, Ulrike, Berriman, Matthew, Newbold, Chris I., Chapman, Colin A., Reid, Adam J., Goldberg, Tony L., Sanderson, Theo, Ting, Nelson, Aunin, Eerik, Simons, Noah D.

2020

Overview

Hepatocystis is a genus of single-celled parasites infecting, amongst other hosts, monkeys, bats and squirrels. Although thought to have descended from malaria parasites (Plasmodium spp.), Hepatocystis spp. are thought not to undergo replication in the blood-the part of the Plasmodium life cycle which causes the symptoms of malaria. Furthermore, Hepatocystis is transmitted by biting midges, not mosquitoes. Comparative genomics of Hepatocystis and Plasmodium species therefore presents an opportunity to better understand some of the most important aspects of malaria parasite biology. We were able to generate a draft genome for Hepatocystis sp. using DNA sequencing reads from the blood of a naturally infected red colobus monkey. We provide robust phylogenetic support for Hepatocystis sp. as a sister group to Plasmodium parasites infecting rodents. We show transcriptomic support for a lack of replication in the blood and genomic support for a complete loss of a family of genes involved in red blood cell invasion. Our analyses highlight the rapid evolution of genes involved in parasite vector stages, revealing genes that may be critical for interactions between malaria parasites and mosquitoes.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Animals / Apicomplexa / Apicomplexa - classification / Apicomplexa - genetics / Apicomplexa - physiology / Aquatic insects / Biology and Life Sciences / Biting / Blood / Blood - parasitology / Colobus - parasitology / Computer and Information Sciences / Culicidae / Deoxyribonucleic acid / Disease transmission / DNA / DNA sequencing / Erythrocytes / Evolutionary genetics / Gene sequencing / Genes / Genetic aspects / Genome, Protozoan / Genomics / Genotypes / Health aspects / Hepatocystis / Identification and classification / Life cycles / Malaria / Malaria - blood / Malaria - parasitology / Malaria - veterinary / Medicine and Health Sciences / Monkey Diseases - blood / Monkey Diseases - parasitology / Monkeys / Mosquitoes / National parks / Parasites / Phylogeny / Plasmodium / Plasmodium - classification / Plasmodium - genetics / Plasmodium - physiology / Protozoan Infections, Animal - blood / Protozoan Infections, Animal - parasitology / Red blood cells / Replication / Research and Analysis Methods / Schizogony / Transcriptome / Vector-borne diseases / Virulence (Microbiology) / Virus-vector relationships