Makanga Boris Kevin, Boundenga Larson, Bitome-Essono Paul Yannick, Arnathau Céline, Rougeron Virginie, Prugnolle Franck
Institut de Recherches en Ecologie Tropicale, Libreville, Gabon.
Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon.
Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl. 2025 Jun 18;27:101104. doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101104. eCollection 2025 Aug.
The genus , best known for causing malaria in humans, also infects a diverse array of vertebrates, including ungulates. Despite the first report of in ungulates dating back to 1913, research on these parasites has remained scarce, largely overshadowed by studies on primate, avian, and rodent . A century later, in 2016, three independent publications renewed interest by reporting the first genetic sequences of ungulate from different host species and continents. Since then, several studies have explored their genetic diversity across various host species and geographic regions. Among these, two studies investigated in African forest and savanna ungulates, identifying several new host species, particularly within the genera , , and . However, these findings remained largely unnoticed by the research community, as the primary focus of the publications was on xenosurveillance (the use of hematophagous flies and their blood meals to detect pathogens) rather than malaria parasites . Here, we reanalyze these overlooked data to clarify the evolutionary relationships of ungulate . Phylogenetic analyses confirm that these parasites form a monophyletic group, distinct from infecting primates, rodents, and bats. Within this group, two main clades were identified, encompassing parasites from various ungulate hosts. While parasites cluster with previously described sequences, those from and form distinct lineages, likely representing novel species. Expanding knowledge of ungulate , particularly in under-explored regions and host species, is crucial for understanding the evolution and diversity of these parasites.
该属以在人类中引起疟疾而最为人所知，它还感染包括有蹄类动物在内的多种脊椎动物。尽管有蹄类动物感染疟原虫的首次报告可追溯到1913年，但对这些寄生虫的研究仍然很少，主要被关于灵长类、鸟类和啮齿类疟原虫的研究所掩盖。一个世纪后的2016年，三篇独立的出版物通过报道来自不同宿主物种和大陆的有蹄类疟原虫的首批基因序列，重新引发了人们的兴趣。从那时起，几项研究探索了它们在各种宿主物种和地理区域的遗传多样性。其中，两项研究调查了非洲森林和稀树草原中有蹄类动物的疟原虫，确定了几个新的宿主物种，特别是在 属、 属和 属中。然而，这些发现很大程度上未被疟原虫研究界注意到，因为这些出版物的主要重点是异种监测（利用吸血蝇及其血餐来检测病原体）而不是疟原虫。在这里，我们重新分析这些被忽视的数据，以阐明有蹄类疟原虫的进化关系。系统发育分析证实，这些寄生虫形成一个单系群，与感染灵长类、啮齿类和蝙蝠的疟原虫不同。在这个群体中，确定了两个主要分支，包括来自各种有蹄类宿主的寄生虫。虽然 疟原虫与先前描述的序列聚类，但来自 和 的疟原虫形成不同的谱系，可能代表新物种。扩大对有蹄类疟原虫的了解，特别是在未充分探索的地区和宿主物种中的了解，对于理解这些寄生虫的进化和多样性至关重要。
