Mitonuclear genomics challenges the theory of clonality in Trypanosoma congolense: Reply to Tibayrenc and Ayala

Molecular Ecology
Frederik Van den BroeckJan Van Den Abbeele

Abstract

We recently published the first genomic diversity study of Trypanosoma congolense, a major aetiological agent of Animal African Trypanosomiasis. We demonstrated striking levels of SNP and indel diversity in the Eastern province of Zambia as a consequence of hybridization between divergent trypanosome lineages. We concluded that these and earlier findings in T. congolense challenge the predominant clonal evolution (PCE) model. In a recent comment, Tibayrenc and Ayala claim that there are many features in T. congolense supporting their theory of clonality. While we can follow the reasoning of the authors, we also identify major limitations in their theory and interpretations that resulted in incorrect conclusions. First, we argue that each T. congolense subgroup should be analysed independently as they may represent different (sub)species rather than "near-clades". Second, the authors neglect major findings of two robust population genetic studies on Savannah T. congolense that provide clear evidence of frequent recombination. Third, we reveal additional events of introgressive hybridization in T. congolense by analysing the maxicircle coding region using next-generation sequencing analyses. At last, we pinpoint two important mis...Continue Reading

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Jan 24, 2019·Molecular Ecology·Loren RiesebergNolan Kane
Sep 5, 2019·Nature Communications·Philipp SchwablMartin S Llewellyn
Mar 3, 2020·Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology·Ana Maria JansenAndré Luiz R Roque

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