Malaria infection and the anthropological evolution

Abstract

ResumoDurante a evolução do gênero Homo a infecção por malária exerceu papel biológico chave, influenciando até o desenvolvimento antropológico. Os Plasmódios causadores da malária desenvolveram dois tipos de evolução, segundo um ponto de vista biológico, e filogenético. Em particular, os Plasmó-dios vivax, malariae, e ovale poderiam ter coevoluído com a espécie humana ou ter atingido esta durante as fases mais antigas da evolução do gênero HOMO. SummaryDuring the evolution of the genus Homo, with regard to species habilis, erectus and sapiens, malaria infection played a key biological role, influencing the anthropological development too. Plasmodia causing malaria developed two kinds of evolution, according to a biological and philogenetical point of view. In particular, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium malariae, and Plasmodium ovale, would have either coevolved with human mankind (coevolution), or reached human species during the most ancient phases of genus Homo evolution. On the other hand, Plasmodium falciparum has been transmitted to humans by monkeys in a more recent period, probably between the end of Mesolithic and the beginning of Neolithic age. The authors show both direct and indirect biomolecular evidences of malaria infection, detected in buried subjects, dating to the Ancient World, and brought to light in the course of archeological excavations in some relevant Mediterranean sites. In this literature review the Authors organize present scientific evidences: these confirm the malarial role in affecting the evolution of populations in Mediterranean countries. The people living in several different regions on the Mediterranean Sea sides, the cradle of western civilization, have been progressively influenced by malaria, in the course of the spread of this endemic disease during the last millennia. In addition, populations affected by endemic malaria developed cultural, dietary and behaviour adaptations, contributing to decrease the risk of disease. These habits were not probably fully conscious. Nevertheless it may be thought that both these customs and biological modifications, caused by malarial plasmodia, favoured the emergence of groups of people with a greater resistance against malaria. All these considered factors decreased demographical impact, influencing in a favourable way the general development and growth of civilization.

Wild African great apes as natural hosts of malaria parasites: current knowledge and research perspectives

“…Further investigation of the relationship between malaria parasites and chimpanzees in natural conditions is important to understand the significance of malaria infection for wild great ape populations' health, and it can serve as a model to understand the host-parasite relationship in human populations, where malaria is believed to have acted as an important driver of recent evolution (Carter and Mendis, 2002;Sabbatani et al, 2010). Wild habituated AGA communities are ideal targets to pursue investigations on illness related to malaria infection.…”

The zinc coordination pattern in the η-carbonic anhydrase from Plasmodium falciparum is different from all other carbonic anhydrase genetic families

“…1,7-17 g-CAs were recently discovered by our groups analyzing the amino acid sequences of CAs from Plasmodia, a large genus of parasitic protozoa responsible of malaria in humans and other animals. 1,[18][19][20][21][22][23] In the present Letter we reanalyzed the findings which led us to introduce this new CA class, suggesting a different sequence alignment with the CAs of other classes and proposing a homology model for understanding the structural features of this new family. Our findings show that, although g-CAs retain many structural features of the a-class, they present a distinctive zinc coordination mode, making their catalytic site unique and different from that found in the other CAs and thus justifying their classification in a new class.…”

The η-class carbonic anhydrases as drug targets for antimalarial agents

“…Plasmodia that can infect humans are represented by five species: Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae and P. knowlesi [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. Plasmodia have the ability to move from intestinal cells towards liver cells through the portal circulation.…”