Public HealthNew Malaria Agent Found In Chimpanzees Close To That Commonly Observed In Humans
Researchers based in Gabon and France report the discovery of a new
malaria agent infecting chimpanzees in Central Africa. This new species,
named
Plasmodium gaboni, is a close relative of the most virulent human agent P.
falciparum; it is described in an article published May 29 in the
open-access journal PLoS Pathogens.
P. falciparum is the major human malaria agent responsible for one to
three million deaths annually. In 2002, the publication of the genome of
P.
falciparum generated new hopes in the fight against this deadly disease,
by the opportunities it offered to discover new drug targets. However, the
lack of known related genomes has limited the development of comparative
genomics according to the study"s researchers from Centre International de
Recherches Mç©dicales de Franceville, Centre National de la Recherche
Scientifique, and l"Institut de Recherche pour le Dç©veloppement.
To investigate the diversity of Plasmodium parasites circulating in
chimpanzees in Africa, the team collected blood from 19 wild-borne animals
kept as
pets by villagers in Gabon. Two were found infected by a Plasmodium
parasite. The sequencing of the parasite"s whole mitochondrial genome
revealed
that it belonged to a previously undescribed species of Plasmodium,
closely related to P. falciparum. Sequencing of the nuclear genome of this
new
agent should further the understanding of genomic adaptations of P.
falciparum to humans and thus help discover new potential drug targets.
The development of comparative genomics to further understanding of P.
falciparum has been hindered by a lack of knowledge of closely related
species" genomes. Only one species, P. reichenowi, infecting chimpanzees,
was previously known as a sister lineage of P. falciparum. Additional
information on related species has thus been needed, making the discovery
of P. gaboni an important step forward in exploring a possible
relationship
for malaria between chimpanzees and humans.
CITATION:
"A New Malaria Agent in African Hominids."
Ollomo B, Durand P, Prugnolle F, Douzery E, Arnathau C, et al. (2009)
PLoS Pathog 5(5): e1000446. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1000446
PLoS Pathogens