High Diversity of West African Bat Malaria Parasites and a Tight Link with Rodent Plasmodium Taxa
High diversity of West African bat malaria parasites and a tight link with rodent Plasmodium taxa Juliane Schaera,b,1,2, Susan L. Perkinsc,1,2, Jan Decherd, Fabian H. Leendertze, Jakob Fahrf,g, Natalie Weberh, and Kai Matuschewskia,i aParasitology Unit, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, 10117 Berlin, Germany; bMuseum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Research on Evolution and Biodiversity, 10115 Berlin, Germany; cSackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024; dSection of Mammals, Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum A. König, 53113 Bonn, Germany; eRobert Koch Institute, 13302 Berlin, Germany; fZoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany; gDepartment of Migration and Immuno-ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; hInstitute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, 89069 Ulm, Germany; and iInstitute of Biology, Humboldt University, 10117 Berlin, Germany Edited by Jitender P. Dubey, US Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD, and approved September 10, 2013 (received for review June 10, 2013) As the only volant mammals, bats are captivating for their high to the late 19th century (10). The corresponding vectors for most taxonomic diversity, for their vital roles in ecosystems—particularly as bat parasites remain unknown. Similarly, the phylogenetic rela- pollinators and insectivores—and, more recently, for their important tionships for the majority of these parasites remain enigmatic. roles in the maintenance and transmission of zoonotic viral diseases. Here, we present a unique systematic analysis of Haemosporida Genome sequences have identified evidence for a striking expansion in a diverse species assemblage of bats. For this study, we per- of and positive selection in gene families associated with immunity.
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