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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
Discovery of mating in the major African livestock pathogen Trypanosoma congolense
PLoS ONE, Volume 4, No. 5, Article e5564, Year 2009
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Description
The protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma congolense, is one of the most economically important pathogens of livestock in Africa and, through its impact on cattle health and productivity, has a significant effect on human health and well being. Despite the importance of this parasite our knowledge of some of the fundamental biological processes is limited. For example, it is unknown whether mating takes place. In this paper we have taken a population genetics based approach to address this question. The availability of genome sequence of the parasite allowed us to identify polymorphic microsatellite markers, which were used to genotype T. congolense isolates from livestock in a discrete geographical area of The Gambia. The data showed a high level of diversity with a large number of distinct genotypes, but a deficit in heterozygotes. Further analysis identified cryptic genetic subdivision into four sub-populations. In one of these, parasite genotypic diversity could only be explained by the occurrence of frequent mating in T. congolense. These data are completely inconsistent with previous suggestions that the parasite expands asexually in the absence of mating. The discovery of mating in this species of trypanosome has significant consequences for the spread of critical traits, such as drug resistance, as well as for fundamental aspects of the biology and epidemiology of this neglected but economically important pathogen. © 2009 Morrison et al.
Available Materials
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC2679202/bin/pone.0005564.s001.doc
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC2679202/bin/pone.0005564.s002.doc
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC2679202/bin/pone.0005564.s003.doc
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC2679202/bin/pone.0005564.s004.doc
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC2679202/bin/pone.0005564.s005.doc
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC2679202/bin/pone.0005564.s006.doc
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC2679202/bin/pone.0005564.s007.doc
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC2679202/bin/pone.0005564.s008.doc
Authors & Co-Authors
Morrison, Liam J.
United Kingdom, Glasgow
University of Glasgow
Tweedie, Alison
United Kingdom, Glasgow
University of Glasgow
Black, Alana
United Kingdom, Glasgow
University of Glasgow
Pinchbeck, Gina L.
United Kingdom, Liverpool
University of Liverpool
Christley, Robert M.
United Kingdom, Liverpool
University of Liverpool
Schoenefeld, Andreas
Gambia, Banjul
International Trypanotolerance Centre Gambia
Hertz-Fowler, Christiane
United Kingdom, Hinxton
Wellcome Sanger Institute
MacLeod, Annette
United Kingdom, Glasgow
University of Glasgow
Turner, Charles Michael R.
United Kingdom, Glasgow
University of Glasgow
Tait, Andrew B.
United Kingdom, Glasgow
University of Glasgow
Statistics
Citations: 66
Authors: 10
Affiliations: 4
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1371/journal.pone.0005564
e-ISSN:
19326203
Research Areas
Genetics And Genomics
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Locations
Gambia