TY - JOUR
T1 - Toxoplasma gondii comprises three clonal lineages
T2 - Correlation of parasite genotype with human disease
AU - Howe, Daniel K.
AU - Sibley, L. David
N1 - Funding Information:
Grant support: American Foundation for AIDS Research (02058-15-RGR), National Institutes of Health (AI-36629, AI-07ln), and Burroughs Wellcome Fund.
PY - 1995/12
Y1 - 1995/12
N2 - The population genetic structure of Toxoplasma gondii was determined by multilocus restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis at 6 loci in 106 independent isolates from humans and animals. Phylogenetic and statistical analyses indicated a highly unusual population structure consisting of 3 widespread clonal lineages. Extensively mixed genotypes were only apparent in 4 strains, which indicated that, while not separate species, sexual recombination between the 3 lineages is exceedingly rare in natural populations. T. gondii is a major cause of subclinical human infection and an important opportunistic pathogen that causes severe disease in immunocompromised patients. While strains from all 3 lineages were isolated from humans, the majority of human toxoplasmosis cases were associated with strains of a type II genotype. The correlation of specific clonal lineages with human toxoplasmosis has important implications for development of vaccines, drug treatments, and diagnostic protocols.
AB - The population genetic structure of Toxoplasma gondii was determined by multilocus restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis at 6 loci in 106 independent isolates from humans and animals. Phylogenetic and statistical analyses indicated a highly unusual population structure consisting of 3 widespread clonal lineages. Extensively mixed genotypes were only apparent in 4 strains, which indicated that, while not separate species, sexual recombination between the 3 lineages is exceedingly rare in natural populations. T. gondii is a major cause of subclinical human infection and an important opportunistic pathogen that causes severe disease in immunocompromised patients. While strains from all 3 lineages were isolated from humans, the majority of human toxoplasmosis cases were associated with strains of a type II genotype. The correlation of specific clonal lineages with human toxoplasmosis has important implications for development of vaccines, drug treatments, and diagnostic protocols.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0028886480&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/infdis/172.6.1561
DO - 10.1093/infdis/172.6.1561
M3 - Article
C2 - 7594717
AN - SCOPUS:0028886480
SN - 0022-1899
VL - 172
SP - 1561
EP - 1566
JO - Journal of Infectious Diseases
JF - Journal of Infectious Diseases
IS - 6
ER -