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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
agricultural and biological sciences
Evidence for negative selection on the gene encoding rhoptry-associated protein 1 (RAP-1) in Plasmodium spp.
Infection, Genetics and Evolution, Volume 10, No. 5, Year 2010
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Description
Assessing how natural selection, negative or positive, operates on genes with low polymorphism is challenging. We investigated the genetic diversity of orthologous genes encoding the rhoptry-associated protein 1 (RAP-1), a low polymorphic protein of malarial parasites that is involved in erythrocyte invasion. We applied evolutionary genetic methods to study the polymorphism in RAP-1 from Plasmodium falciparum (n=32) and Plasmodium vivax (n=6), the two parasites responsible for most human malaria morbidity and mortality, as well as RAP-1 orthologous in closely related malarial species found in non-human primates (NHPs). Overall, genes encoding RAP-1 are highly conserved in all Plasmodium spp. included in this investigation. We found no evidence for natural selection, positive or negative, acting on the gene encoding RAP-1 in P. falciparum or P. vivax. However, we found evidence that the orthologous genes in non-human primate parasites (Plasmodium cynomolgi, Plasmodium inui, and Plasmodium knowlesi) are under purifying (negative) selection. We discuss the importance of considering negative selection while studying genes encoding proteins with low polymorphism and how selective pressures may differ among orthologous genes in closely related malarial parasites species. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.
Authors & Co-Authors
Pacheco, Maria Andreína
United States, Tempe
Arizona State University
Ryan, Elizabeth M.
United States, Tempe
Arizona State University
Poe, Amanda C.
United States, Research Triangle Park
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Niehs
Basco, Leonardo K.
France, Marseille
Ird Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement
Udhayakumar, Venkatachalam
United States, Research Triangle Park
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Niehs
Collins, Williams E.
United States, Research Triangle Park
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Niehs
Escalante, Ananías A.
United States, Tempe
Arizona State University
Statistics
Citations: 24
Authors: 7
Affiliations: 3
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1016/j.meegid.2010.03.013
ISSN:
15671348
Research Areas
Genetics And Genomics
Infectious Diseases