Meta-analysis of a polymorphic surface glycoprotein of the parasitic protozoa Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium hominis.

Due to its extensive polymorphism, a partial sequence of the Cryptosporidium surface glycoprotein gene gp60 has been frequently used as a genetic marker. I explored the global diversity of this protein, and compared its sequence diversity in Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium hominis. In marked contrast to the geographical partition of C. parvum and C. hominis multi-locus genotypes, gp60 allelic groups showed no evidence of segregating in space, or of differing with respect to geographical diversity. Globally, genetic diversity of C. hominis gp60 exceeded that of C. parvum. Within C. parvum, gp60 alleles originating from human isolates were more diverse than those infecting ruminants. Phylogenetic analysis grouped gp60 sequences into a small number of relatively homogenous allelic groups, with only a small number of alleles having evolved independently. With the notable exception of a group of alleles restricted to humans, C. parvum alleles are found in ruminants and humans.