Population genomics studies identify signatures of global dispersal and drug resistance in Plasmodium vivax

• Main Authors: Daniel N. Hupalo, Zunping Luo, Alexandre Melnikov, Patrick L. Sutton, Peter Rogov, Ananias Escalante, Andrés F. Vallejo, Sócrates Herrera, Myriam Arévalo-Herrera, Qi Fan, Ying Wang, Liwang Cui, Carmen M. Lucas, Salomon Durand, Juan F. Sanchez, G. Christian Baldeviano, Andres G. Lescano, Moses Laman, Celine Barnadas, Alyssa Barry, Ivo Mueller, James W. Kazura, Alex Eapen, Deena Kanagaraj, Neena Valecha, Marcelo U. Ferreira, Wanlapa Roobsoong, Wang Nguitragool, Jetsumon Sattabonkot, Dionicia Gamboa, Margaret Kosek, Joseph M. Vinetz, Lilia González-Cerón, Bruce W. Birren, Daniel E. Neafsey, Jane M. Carlton
• Other Authors: New York University
• Format: Article
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
• Online Access: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/42970
• Institution: Mahidol University

© 2016 Nature America, Inc. All rights reserved. Plasmodium vivax is a major public health burden, responsible for the majority of malaria infections outside Africa. We explored the impact of demographic history and selective pressures on the P. vivax genome by sequencing 182 clinical isolates sampled from 11 countries across the globe, using hybrid selection to overcome human DNA contamination. We confirmed previous reports of high genomic diversity in P. vivax relative to the more virulent Plasmodium falciparum species; regional populations of P. vivax exhibited greater diversity than the global P. falciparum population, indicating a large and/or stable population. Signals of natural selection suggest that P. vivax is evolving in response to antimalarial drugs and is adapting to regional differences in the human host and the mosquito vector. These findings underline the variable epidemiology of this parasite species and highlight the breadth of approaches that may be required to eliminate P. vivax globally.