Antigens encoded by the var gene family are major virulence factors of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, exhibiting enormous intra- and interstrain diversity. Here we use network analysis to show that var architecture and mosaicism are conserved at multiple levels across the Laverania subgenus, based on var-like sequences from eight single-species and three multi-species Plasmodium infections of wild-living or sanctuary African apes. Using select whole-genome amplification, we also find evidence of multi-domain var structure and synteny in Plasmodium gaboni, one of the ape Laverania species most distantly related to P. falciparum, as well as a new class of Duffy-binding-like domains. These findings indicate that the modular genetic architecture and sequence diversity underlying var-mediated host-parasite interactions evolved before the radiation of the Laverania subgenus, long before the emergence of P. falciparum.
Pubmed ID: 26456841 RIS Download
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Software for Next-Generation DNA sequencing, Sanger DNA analysis, and RNA sequencing. It contains sequence analysis tools which include reference-guided alignments, de novo assembly, variant calling, and SNP analyses. It has integrated the Cufflinks suite for in-depth transcript analysis and differential gene expression of RNA-Seq data.
View all literature mentionsSoftware for gene prediction in eukaryotic genomic sequences. Serves as a basis for further steps in the analysis of sequenced and assembled eukaryotic genomes.
View all literature mentionsMultiple sequence alignment method with reduced time and space complexity.Multiple sequence alignment with high accuracy and high throughput. Data analysis service for multiple sequence comparison by log- expectation.
View all literature mentionsGraphical user interface for multiple sequence alignment and molecular phylogeny. SeaView also generates phylogenetic trees.
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