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. 2011 Mar 15;6(3):e17775. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0017775

Figure 2. The maximum likelihood (ML) phylogenetic tree of Plasmodium SERA genes.

Figure 2

This unrooted tree was constructed from 115 SERA genes (encompassing Groups II to IV, see Figure 1) using 570 amino acid positions under the JTT + Γ (eight categories) model (α = 1.15) with 500 heuristic replicates. Bootstrap proportions >50% are shown along nodes. Groups II - III and Group IV are cysteine-type and serine-type SERA genes, respectively. Note that Pga-SERA1 (ga1) is an offshoot of Groups II and III SERA genes, suggesting the occurrence of a common ancestor, leading to Pga-SERA1 (ga1) and a common ancestor of Group II and Group III. In P. vivax and P. vivax-related monkey malaria parasite species, the six clades are color-boxed. Pgo-SERA1 (go1) and Pgo-SERA5 (go5) were grouped, despite low bootstrap values, into Clade 2 and Clade 5 respectively, because these genes showed common features to each clade in exon/intron structure and/or gene array.