Laverania

Laverania is a subgenus of the Plasmodium genus of parasitic protozoa. Infection with these protozoans results in malaria. The subgenus was created in 1958 by Bray.[1]

Laverania
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Chromalveolata
Superphylum: Alveolata
Phylum: Apicomplexa
Class: Aconoidasida
Order: Haemosporida
Family: Plasmodiidae
Genus: Plasmodium
Subgenus: Laverania

The name was first proposed by Welch in 1897 as a genus name for the group now known as Plasmodium but for a variety of reasons the genus name Plasmodium was preferred.

History

The first non human primate parasites were described by Eduard Reichenow in Cameroon in 1920. He observed in 1917 three morphologically distinct Plasmodium parasites in the blood of chimpanzees and gorillas.[2] These finding were later confirmed by other workers.[3][4] One species closely resembled P. falciparum and was thought to be the same species. This species was later renamed P. reichenowi.[5]

The other two species — P. rhodaini and P. schwetzi — have since been placed in the subgenus Plasmodium.

The noticeable differences between P. falciparum and the other known Plasmodium species led to the proposal that it be placed in a separate genus Laverania.[1] This suggestion was not accepted but the proposed name is now used as the subgenus.

Species in this subgenus

It has been proposed to rename P. gora and P. gorb as Plasmodium adleri and Plasmodium blacklocki respectively.[6] It has also been proposed that P. billbrayi be considered a junior synonym of P. gaboni.[6]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bray R.S. (1958). "Studies on malaria in chimpanzees. VI. Laverania falciparum". Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 7 (1): 20–24.
  2. ↑ Reichenow E. (1920). "Über das Vorkommen der Malariaparasiten des Menschen bei den Afrikanischen Menschenaffen". Centralbl. f. Bakt. I. Abt. Orig. 85: 207–221.
  3. ↑ Blacklock B., Adler S. (1922). "A parasite resembling Plasmodium falciparum in a chimpanzee". Ann. Trop. Med. Parasitol. XVI: 99–107.
  4. ↑ Adler, S. (1923). "Malaria in chimpanzees in Sierra Leone". Ann. Trop. Med. Parasitol. 17: 13–19.
  5. ↑ Coatney, G.R.; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (1971). The primate malarias. U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Rayner JC, Liu W, Peeters M, Sharp PM, Hahn BH (May 2011). "A plethora of Plasmodium species in wild apes: a source of human infection?". Trends Parasitol. 27 (5): 222–9. doi:10.1016/j.pt.2011.01.006. PMC 3087880. PMID 21354860.

"Plasmodium (Laverania)". NCBI Taxonomy Browser. 418107.