{"doi":"10.1101/2024.04.10.588912","title":"Population genomics of <i>Plasmodium ovale</i> species in sub-Saharan Africa","abstract":"Abstract Plasmodium ovale curtisi ( Poc) and Plasmodium ovale wallikeri ( Pow ) are relapsing malaria parasites endemic to Africa and Asia that were previously thought to represent a single species. Amid increasing detection of ovale malaria in sub-Saharan Africa, we performed a population genomic study of both species across the continent. We conducted whole-genome sequencing of 25 isolates from Central and East Africa and analyzed them alongside 20 previously published African genomes. Isolates were predominantly monoclonal (43/45), with their genetic similarity aligning with geography. Pow showed lower average nucleotide diversity (1.8×10 −4 ) across the genome compared to Poc (3.0×10 −4 ) (p &lt; 0.0001). Signatures of selective sweeps involving the dihydrofolate reductase gene were found in both species, as were signs of balancing selection at the merozoite surface protein 1 gene. Differences in the nucleotide diversity of Poc and Pow may reflect unique demographic history, even as similar selective forces facilitate their resilience to malaria control interventions.","journal":"bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)","year":2024,"id":490696,"datarank":0.10397207708399181,"base_score":0.6931471805599453,"endowment":0.6931471805599453,"self_citation_contribution":0.10397207708399181,"citation_network_contribution":0.0,"self_endowment_contribution":0.10397207708399181,"citer_contribution":0.0,"corpus_percentile":null,"corpus_rank":null,"citation_count":1,"citer_count":0,"citers_with_citation_signal":0,"citers_with_endowment":0,"datacite_reuse_total":0,"is_dataset":false,"is_dataset_confidence":0.7706,"is_data_producer":false,"deposit_databanks":null,"is_oa":true,"file_count":0,"downloads":0,"has_version_chain":false,"published_date":"2024-01-01","fair_score":null,"fair_percentile":null,"algorithm_id":"datarank_citation_only_1hop_v6","ranking_scope":"data_only","authors":[{"id":444295,"name":"Zachary R. Popkin-Hall","orcid":"0000-0002-8308-5294","position":1,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":353653,"name":"Alfred Simkin","orcid":"0000-0001-9408-0053","position":2,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":647357,"name":"Meredith Muller","orcid":null,"position":3,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":623796,"name":"Christopher M. Hennelly","orcid":"0000-0001-5325-6753","position":4,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":1173452,"name":"Wenqiao He","orcid":"0000-0002-0579-6955","position":5,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":290854,"name":"Kara A. Moser","orcid":"0000-0002-9247-7388","position":6,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":1012485,"name":"Claudia Gaither","orcid":"0000-0003-1484-352X","position":7,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":645893,"name":"Karamoko Niaré","orcid":"0000-0002-7406-9508","position":8,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":1166543,"name":"Farhang Aghakanian","orcid":null,"position":9,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":623792,"name":"Sindew Mekasha Feleke","orcid":"0000-0002-5778-653X","position":10,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":623794,"name":"Bokretsion G. Brhane","orcid":"0009-0005-5442-134X","position":11,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":635764,"name":"Fernandine Phanzu","orcid":null,"position":12,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":605604,"name":"Kashamuka Mwandagalirwa","orcid":"0000-0002-3871-1751","position":13,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":242448,"name":"Özkan Aydemir","orcid":"0000-0002-3458-6527","position":14,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":269843,"name":"Colin J. Sutherland","orcid":"0000-0003-1592-6407","position":15,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":270624,"name":"Deus S. Ishengoma","orcid":"0000-0003-2040-3416","position":16,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":1061560,"name":"Innocent Mbulli Ali","orcid":"0000-0002-1112-6376","position":17,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":300878,"name":"Billy Ngasala","orcid":"0000-0001-9300-7719","position":18,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":634884,"name":"Albert Kalonji","orcid":"0000-0002-4779-857X","position":19,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":270631,"name":"Antoinette Tshefu","orcid":"0000-0001-7657-6901","position":20,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":270623,"name":"Jonathan B. Parr","orcid":"0000-0002-4465-9830","position":21,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":242456,"name":"Jeffrey A. Bailey","orcid":"0000-0002-6899-8204","position":22,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":270632,"name":"Jonathan J. Juliano","orcid":"0000-0002-0591-0850","position":23,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":428587,"name":"Jessica T. Lin","orcid":"0000-0002-4516-723X","position":24,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":646275,"name":"Kelly Carey-Ewend","orcid":"0000-0002-3200-1644","position":0,"is_corresponding":true}],"reference_count":84,"raw_metadata":{"citation_network_status":"fetched"},"created_at":"2026-07-19T02:08:37.162700Z","pmid":"39345628","pmcid":null,"fwci":null,"citation_percentile":null,"influential_citations":0,"oa_status":null,"license":null,"views":0,"total_file_size_bytes":0,"version_count":0,"fair_f":null,"fair_a":null,"fair_i":null,"fair_r":null,"fair_zscore":null,"fair_rationale":null,"fair_model":null,"fair_agent_version":null,"fair_fulltext_source":null,"fair_has_llm":null,"fair_computed_at":null,"clinical_trials":[],"software_tools":[],"db_accessions":[],"linked_datasets":[],"topics":[]}