A barcode of organellar genome polymorphisms identifies the geographic origin of Plasmodium falciparum strains

Mark D. Preston, Susana Campino, Samuel A. Assefa, Diego F. Echeverry, Harold Ocholla, Alfred Amambua-Ngwa, Lindsay B. Stewart, David J. Conway, Steffen Borrmann, Pascal Michon, Issaka Zongo, Jean-Bosco Ouédraogo, Abdoulaye A. Djimde, Ogobara K. Doumbo, Francois Nosten, Arnab Pain, Teun Bousema, Chris J. Drakeley, Rick M. Fairhurst, Colin J. SutherlandCally Roper, Taane G. Clark

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

102 Scopus citations

Abstract

Malaria is a major public health problem that is actively being addressed in a global eradication campaign. Increased population mobility through international air travel has elevated the risk of re-introducing parasites to elimination areas and dispersing drug-resistant parasites to new regions. A simple genetic marker that quickly and accurately identifies the geographic origin of infections would be a valuable public health tool for locating the source of imported outbreaks. Here we analyse the mitochondrion and apicoplast genomes of 711 Plasmodium falciparum isolates from 14 countries, and find evidence that they are non-recombining and co-inherited. The high degree of linkage produces a panel of relatively few single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that is geographically informative. We design a 23-SNP barcode that is highly predictive (?92%) and easily adapted to aid case management in the field and survey parasite migration worldwide. 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.
Original languageEnglish (US)
JournalNature Communications
Volume5
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 13 2014

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • General Chemistry
  • General Physics and Astronomy

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