Reproductive clonality of pathogens: A perspective on pathogenic viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasitic protozoa

摘要

This study concerns the population genetics and molecular epidemiology (known as "strain typing") of pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, parasitic protozoa, and fungi. This study provides an update on the "clonality/sexuality debate." Here, we propose that clonal evolution in micropathogens should be defined as restrained recombination on an evolutionary scale, with genetic exchange being rare enough to not break the prevalent pattern of clonal population structure. This definition is already widely used for all kinds of pathogens, yet has not been clearly formulated by many scientists and has been rejected by others.