A genomic resource for the Plasmodium vinckei clade of rodent malaria parasites

Abstract

Plasmodium vinckei is one of four rodent malaria parasite species adapted to laboratory mice and is the most geographically widespread species with isolates collected from wild thicket rats in five countries in sub-Saharan Central Africa between the late 1940s and mid 1960s. Several P. vinckei isolates are available as rodent malaria models but their phenotypes and genotypes are relatively less characterized compared to other RMPs thus hampering the use of this resource. To remedy this, we have generated a comprehensive resource for P. vinckei comprising of five high-quality reference genomes, genotypes and growth phenotypes for ten P. vinckei isolates, and gene expression profiles across the parasite’s intra-erythrocytic developmental stages. We have also sequenced additional P. chabaudi and P. yoeli isolates. The following are the isolates sequenced in this study- Plasmodium vinckei vinckei CY Plasmodium vinckei brucechwatti DA Plasmodium vinckei brucechwatti DB Plasmodium vinckei lentum DE Plasmodium vinckei lentum DS Plasmodium vinckei petteri BS Plasmodium vinckei petteri CR Plasmodium vinckei subsp. EH (Cameroon) Plasmodium vinckei subsp. EL (Cameroon) Plasmodium vinckei subsp. EE (Cameroon) Plasmodium chabaudi subsp. EF (Cameroon) Plasmodium yoeli yoeli 33X Plasmodium yoeli yoeli AR Plasmodium yoeli yoeli CN Plasmodium yoeli nigeriensis D Plasmodium yoeli killicki DG Plasmodium yoeli subsp. EL (Cameroon)