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Origin and evolution of human malaria parasite, P. falciparum and P. vivax

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Nature at Work: Ongoing Saga of Evolution

Abstract

The global occurrences of malaria make it the major killer among all diseases. Many initiatives are being taken worldwide to control the disease. But, despite all these initiatives, its incidences are increasing constantly. Antimalarial drug resistance and lack of method to assess efficacy of any control initiatives have also worsen the situation. In this scenario phylogenetic study of malaria pathogen, can be effective in helping to develop new drugs and vaccines for the disease as well as to understand host parasite interactions and evolution of drug resistance in the pathogen. Malaria is likely originated in tropical Africa and later spread to other parts of the world due to human movement. Presence of plastid in Plasmodium sp. indicates its affinity with cynobacteria and green algae. Recent phylogenetic studies have indicated that all the four human malaria sp. are remotely related to each other. Close relation between P. falciparum and chimpanzee malaria parasite (P. reichenowi) and P. vivax and malaria parasite species of Asian monkeys has been observed. P. vivax shows higher genomic diversity than P. falciparum which indicates that it is older than the latter. Evolutionary studies suggest origin of P. falciparum and P. vivax in Africa and Asia respectively, and support ancient population expansions for both Plasmodium sp. Resistance in Plasmodium sp. for widely used antimalarial drugs was also developed along with spread of the disease It is Darwin’s fundamental contribution that fired the imagination of scientist’s interest in evolutionary studies, and these studies have already proved of much value in understanding the origin, spread and control measures in malaria.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Center for Genetic, Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, PO Box 10504, New Delhi, 110067, India

    Nidhi Datta & Virender Singh Chauhan

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  1. Nidhi Datta
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  2. Virender Singh Chauhan
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  1. CRDT, IIT, Delhi, India

    Vinod P. Sharma

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Datta, N., Singh Chauhan, V. (2010). Origin and evolution of human malaria parasite, P. falciparum and P. vivax . In: Sharma, V.P. (eds) Nature at Work: Ongoing Saga of Evolution. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-8489-992-4_19

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