TY - JOUR
T1 - Genetic dynamics of the Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines gene and Plasmodium vivax circulation within sub-Saharan Africa
AU - Adeloye, Favour
AU - Lambe, Kaothar O.
AU - Oboh, Jennifer A.
AU - Abdulsalam, Halima
AU - Enyinnnaya, Chinatu
AU - Nwuba, Roseangela
AU - Ogundahunsi, Olumide
AU - D'Alessandro, Umberto
AU - Amambua-Ngwa, Alfred
AU - Meremikwu, Martin M.
AU - Hughes, Grant L.
AU - Heinz, Eva
AU - Oboh, Mary A.
PY - 2025/12/16
Y1 - 2025/12/16
N2 - INTRODUCTION: Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (DARC) is a transmembrane receptor (glycoprotein) expressed on human red blood cells. Sub-Saharan Africa (sSA) individuals, who suffer the most of the global malaria burden, predominantly carry a Duffy negative phenotype. Expression of this gene (found among Duffy-positive individuals) is known to be essential for P. vivax invasion of RBCs. While P. falciparum is the predominant Plasmodium in sSA, the upward trend in P. vivax infection is a major threat to the malaria eradication programme in the region. Since Duffy null individuals (homozygous negative) lack DARC expression, we investigated the DARC gene dynamics in relation to the emerging presence of P. vivax infections in a previously predominant P. falciparum endemic region. METHODS: A total of 223 DARC genes were retrieved from the NCBI database across various countries, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Madagascar and South Africa and were used for population dynamic analysis using different population genetic metrics. FINDINGS: Among these sSA countries, South Africa showed the most haplotype and nucleotide diversity compared to other parts of sSA. Various selection pressures were observed in Western Africa and the Central African Republic. Population structure analysis revealed DARC population clustering of Cameroon, Nigeria and Ethiopia (despite Ethiopia's geographic distance), suggestive of shared ancestry and minimal DARC locus divergence. Conversely, South Africa and Madagascar showed a distinct genetic lineage reflecting differences in evolutionary pressures. CONCLUSION: Our analysis suggests minimal genetic diversity within sSA with evidence of selection potentially attributed to the recent emergence of P. vivax infections. However, greater diversity was observed in South Africa. Evidence of selection of this gene and detection of P. vivax among Duffy-null individuals in the other regions is truly a public health concern.
AB - INTRODUCTION: Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (DARC) is a transmembrane receptor (glycoprotein) expressed on human red blood cells. Sub-Saharan Africa (sSA) individuals, who suffer the most of the global malaria burden, predominantly carry a Duffy negative phenotype. Expression of this gene (found among Duffy-positive individuals) is known to be essential for P. vivax invasion of RBCs. While P. falciparum is the predominant Plasmodium in sSA, the upward trend in P. vivax infection is a major threat to the malaria eradication programme in the region. Since Duffy null individuals (homozygous negative) lack DARC expression, we investigated the DARC gene dynamics in relation to the emerging presence of P. vivax infections in a previously predominant P. falciparum endemic region. METHODS: A total of 223 DARC genes were retrieved from the NCBI database across various countries, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Madagascar and South Africa and were used for population dynamic analysis using different population genetic metrics. FINDINGS: Among these sSA countries, South Africa showed the most haplotype and nucleotide diversity compared to other parts of sSA. Various selection pressures were observed in Western Africa and the Central African Republic. Population structure analysis revealed DARC population clustering of Cameroon, Nigeria and Ethiopia (despite Ethiopia's geographic distance), suggestive of shared ancestry and minimal DARC locus divergence. Conversely, South Africa and Madagascar showed a distinct genetic lineage reflecting differences in evolutionary pressures. CONCLUSION: Our analysis suggests minimal genetic diversity within sSA with evidence of selection potentially attributed to the recent emergence of P. vivax infections. However, greater diversity was observed in South Africa. Evidence of selection of this gene and detection of P. vivax among Duffy-null individuals in the other regions is truly a public health concern.
KW - DARC
KW - Dull-negative
KW - GATA−1 box
KW - P. vivax
KW - Sub-Saharan Africa
U2 - 10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105863
DO - 10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105863
M3 - Review article
C2 - 41371595
AN - SCOPUS:105027297097
SN - 1567-1348
VL - 137
SP - 105863
JO - Infection, genetics and evolution : journal of molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics in infectious diseases
JF - Infection, genetics and evolution : journal of molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genetics in infectious diseases
ER -
