Evolution and Adaptation of Plasmodium vivax

logo virginie rougeron researcher cnrs laboratory research
A Research experience from the field to the laboratory

Research evolution adaptation plasmodium vivax-like african great apes humans

Infectious diseases represent the second cause of death worldwide

We propose to generate a radically global understanding of how pathogens adapt to new environments

study the pathogen evolutionary history the different P. vivax clades through the generation of the first P. vivax-like genomes

Completed Project

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Contact

  • REHABS International Research Lab South Afrrica
  • rougeron.virginie@gmail.com
  • 06 46 64 23 18
evolution adaptation plasmodium vivax proje completed virginie rougeron

@ V.Rougeron

Evolutionary history and genetic adaptation of Plasmodium vivax – ANR T-ERC EVAD 2017

Abstract

‘Infectious diseases represent the second cause of death worldwide despite the remarkable advances in their management and in medical research during the 20th century. One reason is the periodic emergence of new infectious diseases in human populations. The bottleneck for an emergent disease to thrive in the new host is the pathogen`s potential for adaptation to the novel environmental conditions. Understanding and elucidating how these pathogens adapt to new environments is a major prerequisite for tackling the emergence of new infectious diseases.

We propose to generate a radically global understanding of how pathogens adapt to new environments, using Plasmodia as model system, by integrating cutting-edge knowledge and technology in the field of genomics, population genetics, informatics and evolution. The malaria agent Plasmodium vivax, albeit less malignant than Plasmodium falciparum, is responsible for severe and incapacitating clinical symptoms with significant effects on human health. P. vivax is an ideal model because during its evolutionary history it has emerged in different hosts (i.e. chimpanzees/gorillas) and repeatedly colonized new human populations. It has thus shown ability to successfully adapt to different environments. The AIM of this proposal is to study the pathogen evolutionary history the different P. vivax clades through the generation of the first P. vivax-like genomes and of new African P. vivax genomes. ‘

Funding

ANR T-ERC EVAD 2017, “Evolutionary history and genetic adaptation of Plasmodium vivax”

Principal Investigator : Virginie Rougeron – 148,824€ ; 18 months ; December 2017 – May 2019.

                                                  ANR

Partners

Main discoveries

First P.vivax-like genomes

Asian origine of P.vivax

@N. Rahola.

“This project allowed first the sequencing of the first P. vivax-like genomes of African great apes. Then, our next study provides one of the most detailed views of the worldwide distribution of P. vivax population genetic diversity and demographic history. Our work investigated not only the phylogenetic relationship between P. vivax infecting human and apes but also different features of P. vivax genetic variation worldwide to test different hypotheses of an African or Asian origin. We showed that P. vivax is a sister group and not a sublineage of P. vivax-like. Genetic diversity in P. vivax-like is richer than in P. vivax, consistent with a strong bottleneck in this lineage that gave rise to P. vivax. Our results based on whole-genome sequencing data support an out-of-Asia origin, rather than an African origin, for the world populations of P. vivax, with a signal of stepping-stone colonization events accompanied by serial founder effects.”

Studied sampling distribution

Figure legend:Country of origin of the 447 P. vivax and 19 P. vivax-like isolates used in the study of Draon J. et al. Within each country, isolates were collected at different locations. The chimpanzee pictogram represents African P. vivax-like isolates. @V.Rougeron

Main publications

Science Advances. 7 : eabc3713 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abc3713.
PLoS NTD. 3 (14) (2020).
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0008072

Portfolio

Photos legend : Field mission La Lekedi park, Gabon 2018, sanitary control – @V.Rougeron

Evolutionary history and genetic adaptation of Plasmodium vivax – ANR T-ERC EVAD 2017

Collaborators involved

michael fountain researcher

Michael
FONTAINE

Michael
FONTAINE

(CRCN, MIVEGEC, France), specialist in genomics and evolutionary adaptation of organisms, helps in genomic data analysis and publication writing.
celine arnathau cnrs research assistant

Céline
ARNATHAU

Céline
ARNATHAU

(IE, MiVEGEC, France), specialist in molecular biology and Plasmodium, is in charge of the molecular bench-work.
josquin daron team research collaborater

Josquin
DARON

Josquin
DARON

(Postdoc, MiVEGEC, France), specialist in genomics and evolutionary adaptation of organisms, helps in genomic data analysis and publication writing.
barthelemy ngoubangoye team research collaborater

Barthélémy
NGOUBANGOYE

Barthélémy
NGOUBANGOYE

(Veterinary, Director of the primatology center, CIRMF, Gabon), specialist in primatology, helps in managing sanitary controls of non-human primates.
franck prugnolle crees researcher cnrs

Franck
PRUGNOLLE

Franck
PRUGNOLLE

(DR1, MIVEGEC, France), an evolutionary biologist and geneticist, helps in data analysis and publication writing.
anne boissiere team research collaborater

Anne
BOISSIERE

Anne
BOISSIERE

(IR, MiVEGEC, France), project manager of the full funding.
christine sidobre team research collaborater

Christine
SIDOBRE

Christine
SIDOBRE

(AI, MiVEGEEC, France), specialist in molecular biology and Plasmodium, is in charge of the molecular bench-work.
larson boundenga team research collaborater

Larson
BOUNDENGA

Larson
BOUNDENGA

(Researcher, CIRMF, Gabon), specialist in malaria, helps in publication writing.
aude- gilabert team research collaborater

Aude
GILABERT

Aude
GILABERT

(Postdoc, MiVEGEC, France), specialist in genomics and evolutionary adaptation of organisms, helps in genomic data analysis and publication writing.