Adaptive immunity selects against malaria infection blocking mutations

The mutation responsible for Duffy negativity, which impedes Plasmodium vivax infection, has reached high frequencies in certain human populations. Conversely, mutations capable of blocking the more lethal P. falciparum have not succeeded in malarious zones. Here we present an evolutionary-epidemiol...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PLoS computational biology 2020-10, Vol.16 (10), p.e1008181-e1008181
Main Authors: Penman, Bridget S, Gandon, Sylvain
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation
Adaptive immunity
Adaptive Immunity - genetics
Age
Biodiversity and Ecology
Biology and Life Sciences
Blocking
Blood groups
Computational Biology
Costs
Disease transmission
Environmental Sciences
Epidemic models
Epidemiology
Erythrocytes
Evolution, Molecular
Genetic Predisposition to Disease - genetics
Genotype & phenotype
Human populations
Humans
Immunity
Infections
Malaria
Malaria, Falciparum - epidemiology
Malaria, Falciparum - genetics
Malaria, Falciparum - immunology
Malaria, Vivax - epidemiology
Malaria, Vivax - genetics
Malaria, Vivax - immunology
Medicine and Health Sciences
Models, Genetic
Mortality
Mutation
Mutation - genetics
Parasites
Pathogens
Physiological aspects
Plasmodium falciparum - immunology
Plasmodium vivax - immunology
Population
Populations
Success
Vector-borne diseases
Virulence
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Summary:The mutation responsible for Duffy negativity, which impedes Plasmodium vivax infection, has reached high frequencies in certain human populations. Conversely, mutations capable of blocking the more lethal P. falciparum have not succeeded in malarious zones. Here we present an evolutionary-epidemiological model of malaria which demonstrates that if adaptive immunity against the most virulent effects of malaria is gained rapidly by the host, mutations which prevent infection per se are unlikely to succeed. Our results (i) explain the rarity of strain-transcending P. falciparum infection blocking adaptations in humans; (ii) make the surprising prediction that mutations which block P. falciparum infection are most likely to be found in populations experiencing low or infrequent malaria transmission, and (iii) predict that immunity against some of the virulent effects of P. vivax malaria may be built up over the course of many infections.
ISSN:1553-7358
1553-734X
1553-7358
DOI:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008181