Display Settings:

Format

Send to:

Choose Destination
    Science. 2009 Dec 11;326(5959):1546-9.

    Positively selected G6PD-Mahidol mutation reduces Plasmodium vivax density in Southeast Asians.

    Source

    Institut Pasteur, Laboratoire de la Génétique de la réponse aux infections chez l'homme, 75724 Paris, France.

    Abstract

    Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency--the most common known enzymopathy--is associated with neonatal jaundice and hemolytic anemia usually after exposure to certain infections, foods, or medications. Although G6PD-deficient alleles appear to confer a protective effect against malaria, the link with clinical protection from Plasmodium infection remains unclear. We investigated the effect of a common G6PD deficiency variant in Southeast Asia--the G6PD-Mahidol(487A) variant--on human survival related to vivax and falciparum malaria. Our results show that strong and recent positive selection has targeted the Mahidol variant over the past 1500 years. We found that the G6PD-Mahidol(487A) variant reduces vivax, but not falciparum, parasite density in humans, which indicates that Plasmodium vivax has been a driving force behind the strong selective advantage conferred by this mutation.

    PMID:
    20007901
    [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
    Free full text

      Supplemental Content

      Icon for HighWire Press

      Save items

      loading

      Recent activity

      Your browsing activity is empty.

      Activity recording is turned off.

      Turn recording back on

      See more...
      Write to the Help Desk