''Vinckeia'' is a subgenus of the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

Plasmodium ''Plasmodium'' is a genus of unicellular eukaryotes that are obligate parasites of vertebrates and insects. The life cycles of ''Plasmodium'' species involve development in a blood-feeding insect host which then injects parasites into a ver ...

'' — all of which are parasitic

alveolates The alveolates (meaning "pitted like a honeycomb") are a group of protists, considered a major clade and superphylum within Eukarya. They are currently grouped with the stramenopiles and Rhizaria among the protists with tubulocristate mitochond ...

. The subgenus ''Vinckeia'' was created by Cyril Garnham in 1964 to accommodate the mammalian parasites other than those infecting the primates.

Diagnostic features

Species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

in this subgenus infect mammals other than the higher primates. Species infecting

lemurs Lemurs ( ) (from Latin ''lemures'' – ghosts or spirits) are wet-nosed primates of the superfamily Lemuroidea (), divided into 8 families and consisting of 15 genera and around 100 existing species. They are endemic to the island of Madaga ...

have since been included in this subgenus. This classification may not be correct. Schizonts: These do not fill the erythrocyte and do not show true stippling. They give rise normally to 8 or fewer merozoites. Schizogony normally takes three days or less. Merozoites: Gametocytes: These are spherical.

Species in this subgenus

The following is a list of species in subgenus ''Vinckeia'' and their hosts. *'' Plasmodium achromaticum'' — insectivorous

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most ...

species *'' Plasmodium aegyptensis'' — African grass rat (''Arvicanthis niloticus'') *'' Plasmodium anomaluri'' — African flying squirrel (''

Anomalurus ''Anomalurus'' is the largest genus in the rodent family Anomaluridae, with four species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is of ...

'' species) *'' Plasmodium atheruri'' —

African brush-tailed porcupine The African brush-tailed porcupine (''Atherurus africanus'') is a species of rat-like Old World porcupine, indigenous to a broad belt of Africa ranging from Guinea on the west coast to Kenya on the east. This is a common species with a very wi ...

(''Atherurus africanus''), Large vesper mouse (''Calomys callosus'') and Mongolian gerbil (''Meriones unguiculatus''), ''

Anopheles stephensi ''Anopheles stephensi'' is a primary mosquito vector of malaria in urban India and is included in the same subgenus as '' Anopheles gambiae'', the primary malaria vector in Africa. ''A. gambiae'' consists of a complex of morphologically identica ...

'' *''

Plasmodium berghei ''Plasmodium berghei'' is a species in the genus ''Plasmodium'' subgenus '' Vinckeia''. It is a protozoan parasite that causes malaria in certain rodents. Originally, isolated from thicket rats in Central Africa, ''P. berghei'' is one of four ' ...

'' — the African woodland thicket rat ('' Grammomys surdaster''), ''

'' *'' Plasmodium booliati'' — the Malayan giant flying squirrel '' Petaurista petaurista'' *'' Plasmodium bouillize'' *'' Plasmodium brodeni'' — four-toed elephant shrews (''Petrodromus tetradactylus'') *'' Plasmodium bubalis'' —

water buffalo The water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis''), also called the domestic water buffalo or Asian water buffalo, is a large bovid originating in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Today, it is also found in Europe, Australia, North America, So ...

es (''Bubalus bubalis'') *'' Plasmodium bucki'' *'' Plasmodium caprae'' — domestic

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...

(''Capra hircus'') *'' Plasmodium cephalophi'' — the antelope ('' Cephalophus grimmi'') and the

common duiker The common duiker (''Sylvicapra grimmia''), also known as the grey or bush duiker, is a small antelope and the only member of the genus ''Sylvicapra''. This species is found everywhere in Africa south of the Sahara, excluding the Horn of Africa ...

/grey duiker (''Sylvicapra grimmia'') *'' Plasmodium cercopitheci'' *'' Plasmodium chabaudi'' — ''

'' *'' Plasmodium coulangesi'' *'' Plasmodium cyclopsi'' — the Cyclops roundleaf bat (''Hipposideros cyclops'') *'' Plasmodium foleyi'' *'' Plasmodium girardi'' *'' Plasmodium incertae'' — flying squirrel *'' Plasmodium inopinatum'' *'' Plasmodium joyeuxi'' *'' Plasmodium landauae'' — African flying squirrels (''

'' species) *'' Plasmodium lemuris'' *'' Plasmodium melanipherum'' — the common bent-wing bat/Schreibers' bat (''Miniopterus schreibersii'') *'' Plasmodium narayani'' *'' Plasmodium odocoilei'' —

white-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...

(''Odocoileus virginianus'') *'' Plasmodium percygarnhami'' *'' Plasmodium pulmophilium'' — African flying squirrel (''

'' species) *'' Plasmodium sandoshami'' — the Sunda flying lemur (''Galeopterus variegatus'') *'' Plasmodium semnopitheci'' *'' Plasmodium traguli'' —

mouse deer Chevrotains, or mouse-deer, are small even-toed ungulates that make up the family Tragulidae, the only extant members of the infraorder Tragulina. The 10 extant species are placed in three genera, but several species also are known only ...

*'' Plasmodium tyrio'' — the

Chinese pangolin The Chinese pangolin (''Manis pentadactyla'') is a pangolin native to the northern Indian subcontinent, northern parts of Southeast Asia and southern China. It has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2014, as the ...

(''Manis pentadactyla'') *'' Plasmodium uilenbergi'' *'' Plasmodium vinckei'' rodents *'' Plasmodium voltaicum'' — the Angolan rousette (a fruit bat, ''Myonycteris angolensis''/''Rousettus smithi'') *'' Plasmodium watteni'' —

Formosan giant flying squirrel The red giant flying squirrel or common giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista petaurista'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae (squirrels). It is found in a wide variety of forest–types, plantations and more open habitats with scatter ...

(''Petaurista petaurista grandis'') *''

Plasmodium yoelii ''Plasmodium yoelii'' is a parasite of the genus ''Plasmodium'' subgenus '' Vinckeia''. As in all ''Plasmodium'' species, ''P. yoelii'' has both vertebrate and insect hosts. The vertebrate hosts for this parasite are mammals. Taxonomy This spe ...

'' — ''

Evolutionary history

Sharp et al 2020 reanalyze the available amino acid substitution data and conclude that ''chabaudi'', ''yoelii'', and ''berghei'' cluster relatively close together. Further they find ''chabaudi'' split off first and the ''berghei''/''yoelii'' division is more recent.

By host

Murine malaria

Murine malaria malaria in mice is caused by '' P. berghei'', '' P. chabaudi'', '' P. vinckei'' and '' P. yoelii''. Some strains produce cerebral malaria and some do not.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7201960 Plasmodium subgenera