TY - JOUR
T1 - Identification of quantitative trait loci controlling acute virulence in Toxoplasma gondii
AU - Su, Chunlei
AU - Howe, Daniel K.
AU - Dubey, J. P.
AU - Ajioka, James W.
AU - Sibley, L. David
PY - 2002/8
Y1 - 2002/8
N2 - Strains of Toxoplasma gondii can be grouped into three predominant clonal lineages with members of the type I group being uniformly lethal in mice. To elucidate the basis of this extreme virulence, a genetic cross was performed between a highly virulent type I strain (GT-1) and a less-virulent type III strain (CTG), and the phenotypes of resulting progeny were analyzed by genetic linkage mapping. Analysis of independent recombinant progeny identified several quantitative trait loci that contributed to acute virulence. A major quantitative trait locus located on chromosome VII accounted for ≈50% of the virulence phenotype, whereas a minor locus on chromosome IV, linked to the ROP1 gene, accounted for ≈10%. These loci are conserved in other type I strains, indicating that acute virulence is controlled by discrete genes common to the type I lineage.
AB - Strains of Toxoplasma gondii can be grouped into three predominant clonal lineages with members of the type I group being uniformly lethal in mice. To elucidate the basis of this extreme virulence, a genetic cross was performed between a highly virulent type I strain (GT-1) and a less-virulent type III strain (CTG), and the phenotypes of resulting progeny were analyzed by genetic linkage mapping. Analysis of independent recombinant progeny identified several quantitative trait loci that contributed to acute virulence. A major quantitative trait locus located on chromosome VII accounted for ≈50% of the virulence phenotype, whereas a minor locus on chromosome IV, linked to the ROP1 gene, accounted for ≈10%. These loci are conserved in other type I strains, indicating that acute virulence is controlled by discrete genes common to the type I lineage.
KW - Genetics
KW - Linkage analysis
KW - Parasite
KW - QTL mapping
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U2 - 10.1073/pnas.172117099
DO - 10.1073/pnas.172117099
M3 - Article
C2 - 12149482
AN - SCOPUS:0036679131
SN - 0027-8424
VL - 99
SP - 10753
EP - 10758
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
IS - 16
ER -