''Plasmodium brasilianum'' is a
parasite
Parasitism is a Symbiosis, close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives (at least some of the time) on or inside another organism, the Host (biology), host, causing it some harm, and is Adaptation, adapted str ...
that infects many species of
platyrrhine monkeys in South and Central America.
Description
Sequence analysis of
circumsporozoite protein
Circumsporozoite protein (CSP) is a secreted protein of the sporozoite stage of the malaria parasite (''Plasmodium'' sp.) and is the antigenic target of RTS,S and other malaria vaccines. The amino-acid sequence of CSP consists of an immunodomina ...
,
merozoite surface protein-1, and small subunit
ribosomal RNA
Ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) is a type of non-coding RNA which is the primary component of ribosomes, essential to all cells. rRNA is a ribozyme which carries out protein synthesis in ribosomes. Ribosomal RNA is transcribed from ribosomal ...
of ''
P. malariae'' and ''P. brasilianum'' showed that the two parasites were very closely related.
It is considered plausible that ''P. brasilianum'' in platyrrhines is a result of the cross-species transfer of ''P. malariae'' brought to the New World by settlers in the
post-Columbus era.
As ''P. malariae'' and ''P. brasilianum'' have now been demonstrated to be genetically identical based on
18S rRNA
18S ribosomal RNA (abbreviated 18S rRNA) is a part of the ribosomal RNA in eukaryotes. It is a component of the Eukaryotic small ribosomal subunit (40S) and the cytosolic homologue of both the 12S rRNA in mitochondria and the 16S rRNA in plas ...
sequences, it has been proposed that ''P. brasilianum'' be subsumed under the name ''P. malariae''.
Distribution
''Plasmodium brasilianum'' naturally infects species of primates from all New World monkey families from a large geographic area in Central and South America.
The parasite has been found in Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, and
French Guiana
French Guiana, or Guyane in French, is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas and the West Indies. Bordered by Suriname to the west ...
.
Hosts
Natural infection of ''P. brasilianum'' has been found in
tamarin
The tamarins are squirrel-sized New World monkeys from the family Callitrichidae in the genus ''Saguinus''. They are the first offshoot in the Callitrichidae tree, and therefore are the sister group of a clade formed by the lion tamarins, Go ...
s and
marmoset
The marmosets (), also known as zaris or sagoin, are twenty-two New World monkey species of the genera '' Callithrix'', '' Cebuella'', '' Callibella'', and ''Mico''. All four genera are part of the biological family Callitrichidae. The term ...
s of the genera ''
Callithrix
''Callithrix'' is a genus of New World monkeys of the family Callitrichidae, the family containing marmosets and tamarins. The genus contains the Atlantic Forest marmosets. The name ''Callithrix'' is derived from the Greek words ''kallos'', ...
'', ''
Leontopithecus
The four species of lion tamarins or maned marmosets make up the genus ''Leontopithecus''. They are small New World monkeys named for the mane surrounding their face, similar to the mane of a lion.
Description
Living in the eastern rainforests ...
'' and ''
Mico
Mico may refer to:
People
* Mićo Janić (born 1979), Croatian sprint canoer
* Mićo Ljubibratić (1839–1889), Serbian revolutionary
* Mico Palanca (1978–2019), Filipino actor
* Mićo Smiljanić (born 1974), Serbian/Montenegrin footballer
* Mi ...
'' in the
Atlantic forest.
Also ''
Anopheles freeborni'' mosquitoes infected by feeding on a platyrrhine spider monkey (''
Ateles geoffroyi geoffroyi'') from Panama carrying ''P. brasilianum'', have been shown to transmit the parasite through biting to five human volunteers.
In addition to humans, ''P. brasilianum'' has been transmissible experimentally to
marmoset
The marmosets (), also known as zaris or sagoin, are twenty-two New World monkey species of the genera '' Callithrix'', '' Cebuella'', '' Callibella'', and ''Mico''. All four genera are part of the biological family Callitrichidae. The term ...
s.
See also
*
List of Plasmodium species infecting primates
The ''Plasmodium'' species infecting primates include the parasites causing malaria in humans.
Species infecting humans
Common infections
*''Plasmodium falciparum'' (the cause of malignant tertian malaria)
*''Plasmodium vivax'' (the most ...
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q12505733
brazilianum
brazilianum