Molecular diversification in avian malaria in the Atlantic Forest

• Grant number: 15/17523-1
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Young Investigators Grants
• Start date: April 01, 2016
• End date: March 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology
• Principal Investigator: Linda Maria Elenor Svensson Coelho
• Grantee: Linda Maria Elenor Svensson Coelho
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas (ICAQF). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Diadema. Diadema , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Cristina Yumi Miyaki ; Staffan Bensch
• Associated scholarship(s): 16/10980-0 - Molecular diversification in avian malaria in the Atlantic Forest, AP.BTA.JP

Abstract

A major challenge for evolutionary biologists is to illuminate the various factors influencing species diversification. In this project, we plan to examine a poorly studied organism with respect to diversification - Plasmodium of birds - in a phylogeographic framework in order to address factors that influence genetic variation both in neutral and adaptive molecular markers. Among factors that we will examine are: (1) history; (2) environment (climate, vegetation, and soil); (3) geography; and (4) host evolution. We will apply a combination of genome sequencing and targeted re-sequencing to analyze genetic variation among 50 Plasmodium isolates from 25 localities. Simultaneously, we will obtain sequence data from immune-related genes of the birds. Avian malaria is poorly studied in South America in particular, but research on these organisms is increasing globally due to the suitability of this system as a model of ecology and evolution. I therefore expect that results obtained during my three years of funding will help set the stage for future work on ecology and (co)evolution of bird malaria; also, the novelty of our proposed project will place it on the forefront of avian malaria evolutionary research and help further the Brazilian contribution to international science. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

FECCHIO, ALAN; SVENSSON-COELHO, MARIA; BELL, JEFFREY; ELLIS, VINCENZO A.; MEDEIROS, MATTHEW C.; TRISOS, CHRISTOPHER H.; BLAKE, JOHN G.; LOISELLE, BETTE A.; TOBIAS, JOSEPH A.; FANTI, REBEKA; et al. Host associations and turnover of haemosporidian parasites in manakins (Aves: Pipridae). Parasitology, v. 144, n. 7, p. 984-993, JUN 2017. (12/08576-6, 15/17523-1)