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Votýpka J, Zeman Š, Stříbrná E, Pajer P, Bartoš O, Kment P, Lukeš J, Lukeš J. Multiple and frequent trypanosomatid co-infections of insects: the Cuban case study. Parasitology 2024:1-12. [PMID: 38616408 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182024000453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Trypanosomatids are obligate parasites of animals, predominantly insects and vertebrates, and flowering plants. Monoxenous species, representing the vast majority of trypanosomatid diversity, develop in a single host, whereas dixenous species cycle between two hosts, of which primarily insect serves as a vector. To explore in-depth the diversity of insect trypanosomatids including their co-infections, sequence profiling of their 18S rRNA gene was used for true bugs (Hemiptera; 18% infection rate) and flies (Diptera; 10%) in Cuba. Out of 48 species (molecular operational taxonomic units) belonging to the genera Vickermania (16 spp.), Blastocrithidia (7), Obscuromonas (4), Phytomonas (5), Leptomonas/Crithidia (5), Herpetomonas (5), Wallacemonas (2), Kentomonas (1), Angomonas (1) and two unnamed genera (1 + 1), 38 species have been encountered for the first time. The detected Wallacemonas and Angomonas species constitute the most basal lineages of their respective genera, while Vickermania emerged as the most diverse group. The finding of Leptomonas seymouri, which is known to rarely infect humans, confirms that Dysdercus bugs are its natural hosts. A clear association of Phytomonas with the heteropteran family Pentatomidae hints at its narrow host association with the insect rather than plant hosts. With a focus on multiple infections of a single fly host, using deep Nanopore sequencing of 18S rRNA, we have identified co-infections with up to 8 trypanosomatid species. The fly midgut was usually occupied by several Vickermania species, while Herpetomonas and/or Kentomonas species prevailed in the hindgut. Metabarcoding was instrumental for analysing extensive co-infections and also allowed the identification of trypanosomatid lineages and genera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Votýpka
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czechia
| | - Šimon Zeman
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Eva Stříbrná
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czechia
| | - Petr Pajer
- Military Health Institute, Military Medical Agency, Prague, Czechia
| | - Oldřich Bartoš
- Military Health Institute, Military Medical Agency, Prague, Czechia
| | - Petr Kment
- Department of Entomology, National Museum, Prague, Czechia
| | - Julius Lukeš
- Department of Ophthalmology, Thomayer University Hospital, Prague, Czechia
| | - Julius Lukeš
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czechia
- Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czechia
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Tannières M, Breugnot D, Bon MC, Grodowitz MJ. Cultivation of monoxenous trypanosomatids: A minireview. J Invertebr Pathol 2024; 203:108047. [PMID: 38142929 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2023.108047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Trypanosomatids are obligatory parasites, some of which are responsible for important human and animal diseases, but the vast majority of trypanosomatids are restricted to invertebrate hosts. Isolation and in vitro cultivation of trypanosomatids from insect hosts enable their description, characterization, and subsequently genetic and genomic studies. However, exact nutritional requirements are still unknown for most trypanosomatids and thus very few defined media are available. This mini review provides information about the role of different ingredients, recommendations and advice on essential supplements and important physicochemical parameters of culture media with the aim of facilitating first attempts to cultivate insect-infesting trypanosomatids, with a focus on monoxenous trypanosomatids.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Tannières
- USDA-ARS European Biological Control Laboratory, 810 avenue du campus Agropolis, 34980 Montferrier sur Lez, France.
| | - D Breugnot
- USDA-ARS European Biological Control Laboratory, 810 avenue du campus Agropolis, 34980 Montferrier sur Lez, France
| | - M C Bon
- USDA-ARS European Biological Control Laboratory, 810 avenue du campus Agropolis, 34980 Montferrier sur Lez, France
| | - M J Grodowitz
- USDA-ARS European Biological Control Laboratory, 810 avenue du campus Agropolis, 34980 Montferrier sur Lez, France; USDA-ARS National Biological Control Laboratory, 59 Lee Road, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA
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3
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Anuntasomboon P, Siripattanapipong S, Unajak S, Choowongkomon K, Burchmore R, Leelayoova S, Mungthin M, E-Kobon T. Identification of a unique conserved region from a kinetoplastid genome of Leishmania orientalis (formerly named Leishmania siamensis) strain PCM2 in Thailand. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19644. [PMID: 37950023 PMCID: PMC10638283 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46638-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) appear in almost all eukaryotic species and are useful molecular markers for phylogenetic studies and species identification. Kinetoplast DNAs (kDNAs) are structurally complex circular mtDNA networks in kinetoplastids, divided into maxicircles and minicircles. Despite several kDNAs of many Leishmania species being examined, the kDNAs of the new species, Leishmania orientalis (formerly named Leishmania siamensis) strain PCM2, have not been explored. This study aimed to investigate the maxicircle and minicircle DNAs of L. orientalis strain PCM2 using hybrid genome sequencing technologies and bioinformatic analyses. The kDNA sequences were isolated and assembled using the SPAdes hybrid assembler from the Illumina short-read and PacBio long-read data. Circular contigs of the maxicircle and minicircle DNAs were reconstructed and confirmed by BLASTn and rKOMICs programs. The kDNA genome was annotated by BLASTn before the genome comparison and phylogenetic analysis by progressiveMauve, MAFFT, and MEGA programs. The maxicircle of L. orientalis strain PCM2 (18,215 bp) showed 99.92% similarity and gene arrangement to Leishmania enriettii strain LEM3045 maxicircle with variation in the 12s rRNA gene and divergent region. Phylogenetics of the whole sequence, coding regions, divergent regions, and 12s rRNA gene also confirmed this relationship and subgenera separation. The identified 105 classes of minicircles (402-1177 bp) were clustered monophyletically and related to the Leishmania donovani minicircles. The kinetoplast maxicircle and minicircle DNAs of L. orientalis strain PCM2 contained a unique conserved region potentially useful for specific diagnosis of L. orientalis and further exploration of this parasite population genetics in Thailand and related regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pornchai Anuntasomboon
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Omics Center for Agriculture, Bioresources, Food, and Health, Kasetsart University (OmiKU), Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Sasimanas Unajak
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Richard Burchmore
- Glasgow Polyomics, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Saovanee Leelayoova
- Department of Parasitology, Phramongkutklao College of Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Mathirut Mungthin
- Department of Parasitology, Phramongkutklao College of Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Teerasak E-Kobon
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand.
- Omics Center for Agriculture, Bioresources, Food, and Health, Kasetsart University (OmiKU), Bangkok, Thailand.
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Kaewmee S, Mano C, Phanitchakun T, Ampol R, Yasanga T, Pattanawong U, Junkum A, Siriyasatien P, Bates PA, Jariyapan N. Natural infection with Leishmania ( Mundinia) martiniquensis supports Culicoides peregrinus (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) as a potential vector of leishmaniasis and characterization of a Crithidia sp. isolated from the midges. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1235254. [PMID: 37675418 PMCID: PMC10478001 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1235254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of autochthonous leishmaniasis in Thailand is increasing but the natural vectors that are responsible for transmission remain unknown. Experimental in vivo infections in Culicoides spp. with Leishmania (Mundinia) martiniquensis and Leishmania (Mundinia) orientalis, the major causative pathogens in Thailand, have demonstrated that biting midges can act as competent vectors. Therefore, the isolation and detection of Leishmania and other trypanosomatids were performed in biting midges collected at a field site in an endemic area of leishmaniasis in Tha Ruea and a mixed farm of chickens, goats, and cattle in Khuan Phang, Nakhon Si Thammarat province, southern Thailand. Results showed that Culicoides peregrinus was the abundant species (>84%) found in both locations and only cow blood DNA was detected in engorged females. Microscopic examination revealed various forms of Leishmania promastigotes in the foregut of several C. peregrinus in the absence of bloodmeal remnants, indicating established infections. Molecular identification using ITS1 and 3'UTR HSP70 type I markers showed that the Leishmania parasites found in the midges were L. martiniquensis. The infection rate of L. martiniquensis in the collected flies was 2% in Tha Ruea and 6% in Khuan Phang, but no L. orientalis DNA or parasites were found. Additionally, organisms from two different clades of Crithidia, both possibly new species, were identified using SSU rRNA and gGAPDH genes. Choanomastigotes and promastigotes of both Crithidia spp. were observed in the hindgut of the dissected C. peregrinus. Interestingly, midges infected with both L. martiniquensis and Crithidia were found. Moreover, four strains of Crithidia from one of the clades were successfully isolated into culture. These parasites could grow at 37°C in the culture and infect BALB/c mice macrophages but no multiplication was observed, suggesting they are thermotolerant monoxenous trypanosomatids similar to Cr. thermophila. These findings provide the first evidence of natural infection of L. martiniquensis in C. peregrinus supporting it as a potential vector of L. martiniquensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saowalak Kaewmee
- Medical Parasitology Program, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chonlada Mano
- Center of Insect Vector Study, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Thanari Phanitchakun
- Center of Insect Vector Study, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Rinnara Ampol
- Center of Excellence in Vector Biology and Vector-Borne Disease, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Thippawan Yasanga
- Medical Science Research Equipment Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Urassaya Pattanawong
- Molecular Biology of Malaria and Opportunistic Parasites Research Unit, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Anuluck Junkum
- Center of Insect Vector Study, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Padet Siriyasatien
- Center of Excellence in Vector Biology and Vector-Borne Disease, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Paul A. Bates
- Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Narissara Jariyapan
- Center of Excellence in Vector Biology and Vector-Borne Disease, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
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Takamiya NT, Rogerio LA, Torres C, Leonel JAF, Vioti G, de Sousa Oliveira TMF, Valeriano KC, Porcino GN, de Miranda Santos IKF, Costa CHN, Costa DL, Ferreira TS, Gurgel-Gonçalves R, da Silva JS, Teixeira FR, De Almeida RP, Ribeiro JMC, Maruyama SR. Parasite Detection in Visceral Leishmaniasis Samples by Dye-Based qPCR Using New Gene Targets of Leishmania infantum and Crithidia. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:405. [PMID: 37624343 PMCID: PMC10457869 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8080405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a neglected disease considered a serious public health problem, especially in endemic countries. Several studies have discovered monoxenous trypanosomatids (Leptomonas and Crithidia) in patients with VL. In different situations of leishmaniasis, investigations have examined cases of co-infection between Leishmania spp. and Crithidia spp. These coinfections have been observed in a wide range of vertebrate hosts, indicating that they are not rare. Diagnostic techniques require improvements and more robust tools to accurately detect the causative agent of VL. This study aimed to develop a real-time quantitative dye-based PCR (qPCR) assay capable of distinguishing Leishmania infantum from Crithidia-related species and to estimate the parasite load in samples of VL from humans and animals. The primer LinJ31_2420 targets an exclusive phosphatase of L. infantum; the primer Catalase_LVH60-12060_1F targets the catalase gene of Crithidia. Therefore, primers were designed to detect L. infantum and Crithidia sp. LVH60A (a novel trypanosomatid isolated from VL patients in Brazil), in samples related to VL. These primers were considered species-specific, based on sequence analysis using genome data retrieved from the TriTryp database and the genome assembling of Crithidia sp. LVH60A strain, in addition to experimental and clinical data presented herein. This novel qPCR assay was highly accurate in identifying and quantifying L. infantum and Crithidia sp. LVH60A in samples obtained experimentally (in vitro and in vivo) or collected from hosts (humans, dogs, cats, and vectors). Importantly, the screening of 62 cultured isolates from VL patients using these primers surprisingly revealed that 51 parasite cultures were PCR+ for Crithidia sp. In addition, qPCR assays identified the co-infection of L. infantum with Crithidia sp. LVH60A in two new VL cases in Brazil, confirming the suspicion of co-infection in a previously reported case of fatal VL. We believe that the species-specific genes targeted in this study can be helpful for the molecular diagnosis of VL, as well as for elucidating suspected co-infections with monoxenous-like trypanosomatids, which is a neglected fact of a neglected disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nayore Tamie Takamiya
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Center for Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos 13565-905, SP, Brazil; (N.T.T.); (F.R.T.)
| | - Luana Aparecida Rogerio
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Center for Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos 13565-905, SP, Brazil; (N.T.T.); (F.R.T.)
| | - Caroline Torres
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Center for Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos 13565-905, SP, Brazil; (N.T.T.); (F.R.T.)
| | - João Augusto Franco Leonel
- Post-Graduate Program in Experimental Epidemiology Applied to Zoonoses at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-270, SP, Brazil
| | - Geovanna Vioti
- Post-Graduate Program in Experimental Epidemiology Applied to Zoonoses at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-270, SP, Brazil
| | - Tricia Maria Ferreira de Sousa Oliveira
- Post-Graduate Program in Experimental Epidemiology Applied to Zoonoses at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-270, SP, Brazil
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga 13635-900, SP, Brazil
| | - Karoline Camila Valeriano
- Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, FMRP-USP, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | - Carlos H. N. Costa
- Natan Portela Institute of Tropical Diseases, Teresina 64002-510, PI, Brazil
| | | | - Tauana Sousa Ferreira
- Laboratory of Medical Parasitology and Vector Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasília, Brasília 70910-900, DF, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Gurgel-Gonçalves
- Laboratory of Medical Parasitology and Vector Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasília, Brasília 70910-900, DF, Brazil
| | - João Santana da Silva
- Fiocruz-Bi-Institutional Translational Medicine Project, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Ribeirão Preto 14040-900, SP, Brazil
| | - Felipe Roberti Teixeira
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Center for Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos 13565-905, SP, Brazil; (N.T.T.); (F.R.T.)
| | - Roque Pacheco De Almeida
- Department of Medicine, Center for Biology and Health Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe (UFS), Aracaju 49060-108, SE, Brazil
| | - José M. C. Ribeiro
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, NIH/NIAID, Rockville, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sandra Regina Maruyama
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Center for Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos 13565-905, SP, Brazil; (N.T.T.); (F.R.T.)
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Saini I, Joshi J, Kaur S. Unwelcome prevalence of leishmaniasis with several other infectious diseases. Int Immunopharmacol 2022; 110:109059. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Detection of Leptomonas seymouri narna-like virus in serum samples of visceral leishmaniasis patients and its possible role in disease pathogenesis. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14436. [PMID: 36002553 PMCID: PMC9402534 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18526-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Kala-azar/Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania donovani (LD) is often associated with Leptomonas seymouri (LS) co-infection in India. Leptomonas seymouri narna-like virus 1 (Lepsey NLV1) has been reported in multi-passaged laboratory isolates of VL samples which showed LD-LS co-infection. A pertinent question was whether this virus of LS is detectable in direct clinical samples. DNA from the serum of twenty-eight LD diagnosed patients was subjected to LD-specific and LS-specific PCR to reconfirm the presence of LD parasites and to detect LD-LS co-infections. RNA extracted from same samples was subjected to RT-PCR, qRT-PCR and sequencing using virus-specific primers to detect/identify and quantify the virus. The presence of the virus was confirmed in thirteen of eighteen (72%) recently collected VL and PKDL samples. Cytokine profiling showed significantly elevated IL-18 in only LD infected patients compared to the virus-positive LD and control samples. IL-18 is crucial for Th1 and macrophage activation which eventually clears the parasite. The Lepsey NLV1 interaction with the immune system results in reduced IL-18 which favors LD survival and increased parasitic burden. The study emphasizes the need to revisit LD pathogenesis in the light of the association and persistence of a protozoan virus in kala-azar and PKDL patients.
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8
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Kajuluri LP, Gargvanshi S, Sahasrabuddhe AA. Intracellular localization of MyosinXXI discriminates Leishmania spp and Leptomonasseymouri. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2022; 604:70-75. [PMID: 35299073 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.02.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The patients with the most dreaded Leishmania donovani infections are now regularly been detected with co-infecting monoxenous trypanosomatid, Leptomonas seymouri, of which pathological consequence is obscure. Due to high degree of morphological similarity, its presence remains unmarked in the culture which leads to anomalous research outcomes. The available methods to detect Leptomonas in cultures are cumbersome and are not quantitative. We report here that MyosinXXI serves as a distinguishing biomarker that can be used to mark the presence of L. seymouri in Leishmania cultures. The method uses Leishmania MyosinXXI antibodies employed in immunofluorescence microscopy that shows a specialized localization pattern in Leishmania but not in Leptomonas (Patent application No. IN201711014439). This method is not only qualitative, but can also quantify the L. seymouri load in the cultured field isolates and serves as a remarkable tool to ascertain laboratory strains of Leishmania.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shivani Gargvanshi
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
| | - Amogh A Sahasrabuddhe
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India.
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9
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Boucinha C, Andrade-Neto VV, Ennes-Vidal V, Branquinha MH, dos Santos ALS, Torres-Santos EC, d’Avila-Levy CM. A Stroll Through the History of Monoxenous Trypanosomatids Infection in Vertebrate Hosts. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:804707. [PMID: 35242719 PMCID: PMC8886219 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.804707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Trypanosomatidae family encompasses unicellular flagellates and obligate parasites of invertebrates, vertebrates, and plants. Trypanosomatids are traditionally divided into heteroxenous, characterized by the alternation of the life cycle between an insect vector and a plant or a vertebrate host, including humans being responsible for severe diseases; and monoxenous, which are presumably unique parasites of invertebrate hosts. Interestingly, studies reporting the occurrence of these monoxenous trypanosomatids in humans have been gradually increasing, either associated with Leishmania co-infection, or supposedly alone either in immunocompromised or even more sporadically in immunocompetent hosts. This review summarizes the first reports that raised the hypothesis that monoxenous trypanosomatids could be found in vertebrate hosts till the most current reports on the occurrence of Crithidia spp. alone in immunocompetent human patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Boucinha
- Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Vítor Ennes-Vidal
- Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marta Helena Branquinha
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | - Claudia Masini d’Avila-Levy
- Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Claudia Masini d’Avila-Levy,
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10
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Genomics of Trypanosomatidae: Where We Stand and What Needs to Be Done? Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10091124. [PMID: 34578156 PMCID: PMC8472099 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10091124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Trypanosomatids are easy to cultivate and they are (in many cases) amenable to genetic manipulation. Genome sequencing has become a standard tool routinely used in the study of these flagellates. In this review, we summarize the current state of the field and our vision of what needs to be done in order to achieve a more comprehensive picture of trypanosomatid evolution. This will also help to illuminate the lineage-specific proteins and pathways, which can be used as potential targets in treating diseases caused by these parasites.
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Sádlová J, Podešvová L, Bečvář T, Bianchi C, Gerasimov ES, Saura A, Glanzová K, Leštinová T, Matveeva NS, Chmelová Ľ, Mlacovská D, Spitzová T, Vojtková B, Volf P, Yurchenko V, Kraeva N. Catalase impairs Leishmania mexicana development and virulence. Virulence 2021; 12:852-867. [PMID: 33724149 PMCID: PMC7971327 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1896830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Catalase is one of the most abundant enzymes on Earth. It decomposes hydrogen peroxide, thus protecting cells from dangerous reactive oxygen species. The catalase-encoding gene is conspicuously absent from the genome of most representatives of the family Trypanosomatidae. Here, we expressed this protein from the Leishmania mexicana Β-TUBULIN locus using a novel bicistronic expression system, which relies on the 2A peptide of Teschovirus A. We demonstrated that catalase-expressing parasites are severely compromised in their ability to develop in insects, to be transmitted and to infect mice, and to cause clinical manifestation in their mammalian host. Taken together, our data support the hypothesis that the presence of catalase is not compatible with the dixenous life cycle of Leishmania, resulting in loss of this gene from the genome during the evolution of these parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jovana Sádlová
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Podešvová
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Bečvář
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Claretta Bianchi
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Evgeny S Gerasimov
- Faculty of Biology, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Andreu Saura
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Kristýna Glanzová
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Leštinová
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Nadezhda S Matveeva
- Faculty of Biology, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.,Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases, Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ľubomíra Chmelová
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Denisa Mlacovská
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Tatiana Spitzová
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Vojtková
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Volf
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vyacheslav Yurchenko
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic.,Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases, Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Natalya Kraeva
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
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12
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Maruyama SR, Rogerio LA, Freitas PD, Teixeira MMG, Ribeiro JMC. Total Ortholog Median Matrix as an alternative unsupervised approach for phylogenomics based on evolutionary distance between protein coding genes. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3791. [PMID: 33589693 PMCID: PMC7884790 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81926-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The increasing number of available genomic data allowed the development of phylogenomic analytical tools. Current methods compile information from single gene phylogenies, whether based on topologies or multiple sequence alignments. Generally, phylogenomic analyses elect gene families or genomic regions to construct phylogenomic trees. Here, we presented an alternative approach for Phylogenomics, named TOMM (Total Ortholog Median Matrix), to construct a representative phylogram composed by amino acid distance measures of all pairwise ortholog protein sequence pairs from desired species inside a group of organisms. The procedure is divided two main steps, (1) ortholog detection and (2) creation of a matrix with the median amino acid distance measures of all pairwise orthologous sequences. We tested this approach within three different group of organisms: Kinetoplastida protozoa, hematophagous Diptera vectors and Primates. Our approach was robust and efficacious to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships for the three groups. Moreover, novel branch topologies could be achieved, providing insights about some phylogenetic relationships between some taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Regina Maruyama
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Center for Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil.
| | - Luana Aparecida Rogerio
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Center for Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Patricia Domingues Freitas
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Center for Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil
| | | | - José Marcos Chaves Ribeiro
- Vector Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway rm 2E32, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA.
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13
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Thakur L, Kushwaha HR, Negi A, Jain A, Jain M. Leptomonas seymouri Co-infection in Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Cases Caused by Leishmania donovani From Himachal Pradesh, India. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:345. [PMID: 32760679 PMCID: PMC7373763 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Himachal Pradesh in India is a newer endemic state with co-existence of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. The cutaneous leishmaniasis cases are on an increase in the region and reported to be unusually caused by Leishmania donovani with limited molecular validation. In order to molecularly characterize the causative parasite of the cutaneous disease, parasite specific Internal-Transcribed Spacer 1 (ITS1) PCR RFLP and sequence analysis was performed on skin lesional biopsies from cutaneous leishmaniasis patients. Interestingly, we found the presence of Leptomonas seymouri in 38.5% (22/57) of the patients along with L. donovani detected in all the samples. L. seymouri is a monoxenous insect trypanosomatid, generally incapable of infecting humans. In recent years, the parasite is also reported to co-infect humans with L. donovani in visceral and post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) cases prevalent in northeastern India. The finding of L. seymouri-L. donovani co-infection in unusual cutaneous cases from Himachal Pradesh is the first ever to our knowledge and imply a newer disease paradigm. There is an urgent need to understand the biology of Leptomonas co-infection with L. donovani and its possible role in visceral and/or dermotropic disease outcome. Importantly, L. seymouri co-infection in cutaneous cases and previously reported visceral and PKDL cases needs to be recognized as a newer phenomenon by the leishmaniasis surveillance program in India.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lovlesh Thakur
- Department of Zoology, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India
| | | | - Ajeet Negi
- Department of Dermatology, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, India
| | - Aklank Jain
- Department of Zoology, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India
| | - Manju Jain
- Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India
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14
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Ahuja K, Vats A, Beg MA, Kariyawasam KKGDUL, Chaudhury A, Chatterjee M, Karunaweera ND, Selvapandiyan A. High resolution melting based method for rapid discriminatory diagnosis of co-infecting Leptomonas seymouri in Leishmania donovani-induced leishmaniasis. Parasitol Int 2019; 75:102047. [PMID: 31887394 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2019.102047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Leishmania donovani, a protozoan parasite of family Trypanosomatidae, causes fatal visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the Indian subcontinent and Africa and cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Sri Lanka. Another member of Trypanosomatidae, Leptomonas seymouri, resembling Leishmania was discovered recently to co-exist with L. donovani in the clinical samples from India and Sri Lanka and therefore, interfere with its investigations. We earlier described a method for selective elimination of such co-existing L. seymouri from clinical samples of VL exploiting the differential growth of the parasites at 37 °C in vitro. Here, we explored ways for a rapid discriminatory diagnosis using high resolution melting (HRM) curves to detect co-occurring L. seymouri with L. donovani in clinical samples. Initial attempt with kDNA-minicircle (mitochondrial DNA) based HRM did not display different Tm values between L. donovani and L. seymouri. Surprisingly, all of their minicircle sequences co-existed in similar clades in the dendrogram analysis, although the kDNA sequences are known for its species and strain specific variations among the Trypanosomatids. However, an HRM analysis that targets the HSP70 gene successfully recognized the presence of L. seymouri in the clinical isolates. This discovery will facilitate rapid diagnosis of L. seymouri and further investigations in to this elusive organism, including the clinico-pathological implications of its co-existence with L. donovani in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavita Ahuja
- JH-Institute of Molecular Medicine, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi 110062, India; Department of Bio & Nano Technology, Bio & Nano Technology Centre, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar 125001, India
| | - Abhishek Vats
- Department of Research, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi 110060, India
| | - Mirza Adil Beg
- JH-Institute of Molecular Medicine, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi 110062, India
| | - K K G D U L Kariyawasam
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, No. 25, Kynsey Road, Colombo 00800, Sri Lanka
| | - Ashok Chaudhury
- Department of Bio & Nano Technology, Bio & Nano Technology Centre, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar 125001, India
| | - Mitali Chatterjee
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, Kolkata 700020, India
| | - Nadira D Karunaweera
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, No. 25, Kynsey Road, Colombo 00800, Sri Lanka
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15
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Camacho E, Rastrojo A, Sanchiz Á, González-de la Fuente S, Aguado B, Requena JM. Leishmania Mitochondrial Genomes: Maxicircle Structure and Heterogeneity of Minicircles. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10100758. [PMID: 31561572 PMCID: PMC6826401 DOI: 10.3390/genes10100758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 09/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is present in almost all eukaryotic organisms, is a useful marker for phylogenetic studies due to its relative high conservation and its inheritance manner. In Leishmania and other trypanosomatids, the mtDNA (also referred to as kinetoplast DNA or kDNA) is composed of thousands of minicircles and a few maxicircles, catenated together into a complex network. Maxicircles are functionally similar to other eukaryotic mtDNAs, whereas minicircles are involved in RNA editing of some maxicircle-encoded transcripts. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is increasingly used for assembling nuclear genomes and, currently, a large number of genomic sequences are available. However, most of the time, the mitochondrial genome is ignored in the genome assembly processes. The aim of this study was to develop a pipeline to assemble Leishmania minicircles and maxicircle DNA molecules, exploiting the raw data generated in the NGS projects. As a result, the maxicircle molecules and the plethora of minicircle classes for Leishmania major, Leishmania infantum and Leishmania braziliensis have been characterized. We have observed that whereas the heterogeneity of minicircle sequences existing in a single cell hampers their use for Leishmania typing and classification, maxicircles emerge as an extremely robust genetic marker for taxonomic studies within the clade of kinetoplastids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Camacho
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Campus de Excelencia Internacional (CEI) UAM+CSIC, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Alberto Rastrojo
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Campus de Excelencia Internacional (CEI) UAM+CSIC, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
| | - África Sanchiz
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Campus de Excelencia Internacional (CEI) UAM+CSIC, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Sandra González-de la Fuente
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Campus de Excelencia Internacional (CEI) UAM+CSIC, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Begoña Aguado
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Campus de Excelencia Internacional (CEI) UAM+CSIC, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Jose M Requena
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Campus de Excelencia Internacional (CEI) UAM+CSIC, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
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16
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Ghobakhloo N, Motazedian MH, Naderi S, Ebrahimi S. Isolation of Crithidia spp. from lesions of immunocompetent patients with suspected cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran. Trop Med Int Health 2018; 24:116-126. [PMID: 29446852 DOI: 10.1111/tmi.13042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Leishmania major has been considered as the main aetiological agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran. However, there are recent reports about the existence of Crithidia spp in cutaneous lesions in southern Iran. Therefore, this study was designed to decipher some morphological, biological and molecular aspects of this phenomenon. METHODS Clinical isolates were obtained from 167 patients with cutaneous ulcers. A set of specific primers based on GAPDH (Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase) gene were used to distinguish between Crithidia and Leishmania genera. For molecular analysis, Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis and Mi-Seq Illumina platform were applied. Then, morphological analysis and some biological features (including potential growth at 37 °C and the ability of infecting mammalian macrophages) were studied. RESULTS In 92.8% of clinical cases, L. major was the only causative microorganism isolated; in 5.4% of cases, co-infection of L. major and Crithidia spp. was identified; and in 1.8% of lesions, only Crithidia spp. were found. CONCLUSION We isolated Crithidia spp. from clinical samples of patients suspected of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran, indicating that Crithidia spp. are capable of surviving at human body temperature and infecting macrophage cells. This raises questions on the influence of this phenomenon on pathogenicity, therapeutic outcome and disease control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nafiseh Ghobakhloo
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hossein Motazedian
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.,Basic Science in Infectious Diseases, Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Shahrbanoo Naderi
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Sepideh Ebrahimi
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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17
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A complete Leishmania donovani reference genome identifies novel genetic variations associated with virulence. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16549. [PMID: 30409989 PMCID: PMC6224596 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34812-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmania donovani is responsible for visceral leishmaniasis, a neglected and lethal parasitic disease with limited treatment options and no vaccine. The study of L. donovani has been hindered by the lack of a high-quality reference genome and this can impact experimental outcomes including the identification of virulence genes, drug targets and vaccine development. We therefore generated a complete genome assembly by deep sequencing using a combination of second generation (Illumina) and third generation (PacBio) sequencing technologies. Compared to the current L. donovani assembly, the genome assembly reported within resulted in the closure over 2,000 gaps, the extension of several chromosomes up to telomeric repeats and the re-annotation of close to 15% of protein coding genes and the annotation of hundreds of non-coding RNA genes. It was possible to correctly assemble the highly repetitive A2 and Amastin virulence gene clusters. A comparative sequence analysis using the improved reference genome confirmed 70 published and identified 15 novel genomic differences between closely related visceral and atypical cutaneous disease-causing L. donovani strains providing a more complete map of genes associated with virulence and visceral organ tropism. Bioinformatic tools including protein variation effect analyzer and basic local alignment search tool were used to prioritize a list of potential virulence genes based on mutation severity, gene conservation and function. This complete genome assembly and novel information on virulence factors will support the identification of new drug targets and the development of a vaccine for L. donovani.
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18
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Kostygov AY, Butenko A, Yurchenko V. On monoxenous trypanosomatids from lesions of immunocompetent patients with suspected cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran. Trop Med Int Health 2018; 24:127-128. [PMID: 30307678 DOI: 10.1111/tmi.13168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexei Yu Kostygov
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Anzhelika Butenko
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic.,Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Vyacheslav Yurchenko
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic.,Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic.,Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases, Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia
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19
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Singh N, Goel R, Jain E. Differential Metabolic Pathway Analysis of the Proteomes of Leishmania donovani and Leptomonas seymouri. Proteomics Clin Appl 2018; 12:e1600087. [PMID: 29469990 DOI: 10.1002/prca.201600087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Revised: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Although in trypanosomatids, monoxeny (Leptomonas) is ancestral to dixeny (Leishmania), however clinical cases of visceral leishmanisis with Leptomonas co-infection are increasingly being reported from India. Using a proteogenomic approach, a detailed proteome analysis of these two kinetoplastid parasites viz., Leishmania and its sister Leptomonas, to catalog the key proteins associated with and therefore possibly responsible for phenotype changes in Leptomonas evolution and domestication as co-infection with Leishmania is carried out. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN LC-MS/MS is utilized for this proteomic purpose. One Leishmania donovani WHO reference strain and two Leptomonas seymouri isolates, which are originally isolated from clinical cases of kala azar patients with different inherent drug sensitivity viz., responsive and unresponsive, are used in this study. RESULTS A network analysis, leveraging protein-protein interaction data helped to find the roles of the proteins in carbon metabolism and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites which is seen to be altered under stress conditions like drug resistance. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE The information provided about the metabolic pathways modulated when contrasting these two phenotypes may lead to the development of new strategies to block parasite differentiation within the host and to also circumvent the problem of drug resistance. This proteomic study also offers new grounds for the investigation of novel hypothetical proteins potentially playing a role in evolutionary biology the knowledge of which is essential for treatment of patients co-infected with these two kinetoplastid parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neeloo Singh
- Biochemistry Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
| | - Renu Goel
- Drug Discovery Research Centre (DDRC), Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Haryana, India
| | - Ekta Jain
- Consulting Bioinformatician, M.res Bioinformatics, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK, Affiliated with Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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20
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Butenko A, Vieira TDS, Frolov AO, Opperdoes FR, Soares RP, Kostygov AY, Lukeš J, Yurchenko V. Leptomonas pyrrhocoris: Genomic insight into Parasite's Physiology. Curr Genomics 2018; 19:150-156. [PMID: 29491743 PMCID: PMC5814963 DOI: 10.2174/1389202918666170815143331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Revised: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leptomonas pyrrhocoris is a parasite of the firebug Pyrrhocoris apterus. This flagellate has been recently proposed as a model species for studying different aspects of the biology of monoxenous trypanosomatids, including host - parasite interactions. During its life cycle L. pyrrhocoris never tightly attaches to the epithelium of the insect gut. In contrast, its dixenous relatives (Leishmania spp.) establish a stable infection via attachment to the intestinal walls of their insect hosts. MATERIAL AND METHODS This process is mediated by chemical modifications of the cell surface lipophosphoglycans. In our study we tested whether the inability of L. pyrrhocoris to attach to the firebug's midgut is associated with the absence of these glycoconjugates. We also analyzed evolution of the proteins involved in proper lipophosphoglycan assembly, cell attachment and establishment of a stable infection in L. pyrrhocoris, L. seymouri, and Leishmania spp. Our comparative analysis demonstrated differences in SCG/L/R repertoire between the two parasite subgenera, Leishmania and Viannia, which may be related to distinct life strategies in various Leishmania spp. The genome of L. pyrrhocoris encodes 6 SCG genes, all of which are quite divergent from their orthologs in the genus Leishmania. Using direct probing with an antibody recognizing the β-Gal side chains of lipophosphoglycans, we confirmed that these structures are not synthesized in L. pyrrhocoris. CONCLUSION We conclude that either the SCG enzymes are not active in this species (similarly to SCG5/7 in L. major), or they possess a different biochemical activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anzhelika Butenko
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, 370 05 České Budejovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Tamara da Silva Vieira
- Centro de Pesquisas Rene Rachou/FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30190-002, Brazil
| | - Alexander O. Frolov
- Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg199034, Russia
| | - Fred R. Opperdoes
- de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Rodrigo P. Soares
- Centro de Pesquisas Rene Rachou/FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30190-002, Brazil
| | - Alexei Yu. Kostygov
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg199034, Russia
| | - Julius Lukeš
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, 370 05 České Budejovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 370 05 České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, ONM5G1Z8, Canada
| | - Vyacheslav Yurchenko
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, 370 05 České Budejovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
- Institute of Environmental Technologies, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
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Sukla S, Roy S, Sundar S, Biswas S. Leptomonas seymouri narna-like virus 1 and not leishmaniaviruses detected in kala-azar samples from India. Arch Virol 2017; 162:3827-3835. [PMID: 28939968 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-017-3559-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The great majority of kala-azar/visceral leishmaniasis (VL) cases, which are caused by Leishmania donovani (LD), are reported in Asia. We investigated whether leishmaniaviruses (LRVs) are present in LD isolates. These dsRNA viruses contribute to hyperpathogenicity, as observed in the case of other members of the genus Leishmania. However, LRVs could not be detected in 22 Indian LD isolates tested in the present study, while 70% of these original LD isolates harboured a virus that was not of LD but instead of Leptomonas seymouri (LS) origin. LS is another protozoon that parasitizes the sandfly vector of LD. Historically, LD clinical isolates from India often showed high incidence of LS coinfection. LS was detected in 20 out of the 22 (91%) above-mentioned LD isolates. Leptomonas seymouri narna-like virus 1 (Lepsey NLV1) was identified by whole-genome sequencing in an LD-LS coinfected sample, and its presence was confirmed by PCR and sequencing in 15 (75%) of the 20 LD-LS coinfected samples. The LS-negative LD samples were also virus negative by PCR. That the human host is exposed to an RNA virus in LS, another coinfecting parasite with LD, i.e., the "LD-LS-Lepsey NLV1 triple pathogen" phenomenon, unveils a new paradigm of research towards revisiting the mysteries of Indian leishmaniasis pathogenesis and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumi Sukla
- Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (CSIR), Kolkata, West Bengal, 700032, India
| | - Syamal Roy
- Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (CSIR), Kolkata, West Bengal, 700032, India.,Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University, Cooch Behar, West Bengal, 736101, India
| | - Shyam Sundar
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, UP, 221 005, India
| | - Subhajit Biswas
- Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (CSIR), Kolkata, West Bengal, 700032, India.
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22
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Kaufer A, Ellis J, Stark D, Barratt J. The evolution of trypanosomatid taxonomy. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:287. [PMID: 28595622 PMCID: PMC5463341 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2204-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosomatids are protozoan parasites of the class Kinetoplastida predominately restricted to invertebrate hosts (i.e. possess a monoxenous life-cycle). However, several genera are pathogenic to humans, animals and plants, and have an invertebrate vector that facilitates their transmission (i.e. possess a dixenous life-cycle). Phytomonas is one dixenous genus that includes several plant pathogens transmitted by phytophagous insects. Trypanosoma and Leishmania are dixenous genera that infect vertebrates, including humans, and are transmitted by hematophagous invertebrates. Traditionally, monoxenous trypanosomatids such as Leptomonas were distinguished from morphologically similar dixenous species based on their restriction to an invertebrate host. Nonetheless, this criterion is somewhat flawed as exemplified by Leptomonas seymouri which reportedly infects vertebrates opportunistically. Similarly, Novymonas and Zelonia are presumably monoxenous genera yet sit comfortably in the dixenous clade occupied by Leishmania. The isolation of Leishmania macropodum from a biting midge (Forcipomyia spp.) rather than a phlebotomine sand fly calls into question the exclusivity of the Leishmania-sand fly relationship, and its suitability for defining the Leishmania genus. It is now accepted that classic genus-defining characteristics based on parasite morphology and host range are insufficient to form the sole basis of trypanosomatid taxonomy as this has led to several instances of paraphyly. While improvements have been made, resolution of evolutionary relationships within the Trypanosomatidae is confounded by our incomplete knowledge of its true diversity. The known trypanosomatids probably represent a fraction of those that exist and isolation of new species will help resolve relationships in this group with greater accuracy. This review incites a dialogue on how our understanding of the relationships between certain trypanosomatids has shifted, and discusses new knowledge that informs the present taxonomy of these important parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexa Kaufer
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007 Australia
| | - John Ellis
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007 Australia
| | - Damien Stark
- Department of Microbiology, St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010 Australia
| | - Joel Barratt
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007 Australia
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El Hamouchi A, Ejghal R, Hida M, Lemrani M. Intraspecific genetic variability in a population of Moroccan Leishmania infantum revealed by PCR-RFLP of kDNA minicircles. Acta Trop 2017; 169:142-149. [PMID: 28209553 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2016] [Revised: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
In Morocco, Leishmania infantum is the main etiologic agent of human and canine visceral leishmaniasis (VL). This species has been proven to be an opportunistic agent in HIV+ patients and is also responsible of sporadic cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL).This work aims to evaluate the genetic variability of Moroccan L. infantum strains based on PCR-RFLP analysis of the kinetoplastid DNA (kDNA) minicircles. A total of 75 DNA samples extracted from positive Giemsa-stained smears (n=32) and from L. infantum cultures (n=43) was studied. The samples have been taken from VL patients infected (n=7) or not (n=56) by HIV, patients with CL (n=2) and finally from infected dogs (n=10). An hypervariable region of kDNA was amplified using the primers MC1 and MC2; the PCR products were digested separately by a panel of nine restriction enzymes. The presence or absence of restriction fragments was scored in a binary matrix and the SplitsTree4 software was used for the construction of a Neighbor-Net network. Moroccan L. infantum population showed an important level of variability with the identification of 6 genotypes. For each genotype a PCR product was sequenced, confirming the presence of all the expected restriction sites. The predominant profile was the genotype B. A new genotype, named Q was detected for the first time, whereas the four other genotypes (G, K, N and O) were reported sporadically in the Mediterranean basin. The Neighbor-Net network segregates our L. infantum population into 3 clusters: Cluster I includes genotype B, cluster II grouping the genotypes O, Q and G and finally the cluster III contains the genotype N. The kDNA-PCR-RFLP assay is suitable for use directly on biological samples; it reveals an important degree of genetic variability among L. infantum strains even those belonging to the same zymodeme what is of great epidemiological interest.
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Barratt J, Kaufer A, Peters B, Craig D, Lawrence A, Roberts T, Lee R, McAuliffe G, Stark D, Ellis J. Isolation of Novel Trypanosomatid, Zelonia australiensis sp. nov. (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) Provides Support for a Gondwanan Origin of Dixenous Parasitism in the Leishmaniinae. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0005215. [PMID: 28081121 PMCID: PMC5230760 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The genus Leishmania includes approximately 53 species, 20 of which cause human leishmaniais; a significant albeit neglected tropical disease. Leishmaniasis has afflicted humans for millennia, but how ancient is Leishmania and where did it arise? These questions have been hotly debated for decades and several theories have been proposed. One theory suggests Leishmania originated in the Palearctic, and dispersed to the New World via the Bering land bridge. Others propose that Leishmania evolved in the Neotropics. The Multiple Origins theory suggests that separation of certain Old World and New World species occurred due to the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. Some suggest that the ancestor of the dixenous genera Leishmania, Endotrypanum and Porcisia evolved on Gondwana between 90 and 140 million years ago. In the present study a detailed molecular and morphological characterisation was performed on a novel Australian trypanosomatid following its isolation in Australia’s tropics from the native black fly, Simulium (Morops) dycei Colbo, 1976. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted and confirmed this parasite as a sibling to Zelonia costaricensis, a close relative of Leishmania previously isolated from a reduviid bug in Costa Rica. Consequently, this parasite was assigned the name Zelonia australiensis sp. nov. Assuming Z. costaricensis and Z. australiensis diverged when Australia and South America became completely separated, their divergence occurred between 36 and 41 million years ago at least. Using this vicariance event as a calibration point for a phylogenetic time tree, the common ancestor of the dixenous genera Leishmania, Endotrypanum and Porcisia appeared in Gondwana approximately 91 million years ago. Ultimately, this study contributes to our understanding of trypanosomatid diversity, and of Leishmania origins by providing support for a Gondwanan origin of dixenous parasitism in the Leishmaniinae. The genus Leishmania includes approximately 53 species, 20 of which cause human leishmaniais, a significant disease that has afflicted humans for millennia. But how ancient is Leishmania and where did it arise? Some suggest Leishmania originated in the Palearctic. Others suggest it appeared in the Neotropics. The Multiple Origins theory proposes that separation of certain Old World and Neotropical species occurred following the opening of the Atlantic. Others suggest that an ancestor to the Euleishmania and Paraleishmania appeared on Gondwana 90 to 140 million years ago (MYA). We performed a detailed molecular and morphological characterisation of a novel Australian trypanosomatid. This parasite is a sibling to the Neotropical Zelonia costaricensis, a close relative of Leishmania, and designated as Zelonia australiensis sp. nov. Assuming Z. costaricensis and Z. australiensis split when Australia and South America separated, their divergence occurred between 36 and 41 MYA. Using this event as a calibration point for a phylogenetic time tree, an ancestor of the dixenous Leishmaniinae appeared in Gondwana ~ 91 MYA. This study contributes to our understanding of trypanosomatid diversity by describing a unique Australian trypanosomatid and to our understanding of Leishmania evolution by inferring a Gondwanan origin for dixenous parasitism in the Leishmaniinae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Barratt
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Alexa Kaufer
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Bryce Peters
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Insect Research Facility, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Douglas Craig
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Andrea Lawrence
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Medical Entomology, University of Sydney & Pathology West - ICPMR, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Tamalee Roberts
- St. Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Division of Microbiology, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rogan Lee
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, ICPMR, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Gary McAuliffe
- Microbiology Department, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Damien Stark
- St. Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Division of Microbiology, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - John Ellis
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Genome of Leptomonas pyrrhocoris: a high-quality reference for monoxenous trypanosomatids and new insights into evolution of Leishmania. Sci Rep 2016; 6:23704. [PMID: 27021793 PMCID: PMC4810370 DOI: 10.1038/srep23704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Many high-quality genomes are available for dixenous (two hosts) trypanosomatid species of the genera Trypanosoma, Leishmania, and Phytomonas, but only fragmentary information is available for monoxenous (single-host) trypanosomatids. In trypanosomatids, monoxeny is ancestral to dixeny, thus it is anticipated that the genome sequences of the key monoxenous parasites will be instrumental for both understanding the origin of parasitism and the evolution of dixeny. Here, we present a high-quality genome for Leptomonas pyrrhocoris, which is closely related to the dixenous genus Leishmania. The L. pyrrhocoris genome (30.4 Mbp in 60 scaffolds) encodes 10,148 genes. Using the L. pyrrhocoris genome, we pinpointed genes gained in Leishmania. Among those genes, 20 genes with unknown function had expression patterns in the Leishmania mexicana life cycle suggesting their involvement in virulence. By combining differential expression data for L. mexicana, L. major and Leptomonas seymouri, we have identified several additional proteins potentially involved in virulence, including SpoU methylase and U3 small nucleolar ribonucleoprotein IMP3. The population genetics of L. pyrrhocoris was also addressed by sequencing thirteen strains of different geographic origin, allowing the identification of 1,318 genes under positive selection. This set of genes was significantly enriched in components of the cytoskeleton and the flagellum.
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Chauhan IS, Kaur J, Krishna S, Ghosh A, Singh P, Siddiqi MI, Singh N. Evolutionary comparison of prenylation pathway in kinetoplastid Leishmania and its sister Leptomonas. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:261. [PMID: 26588894 PMCID: PMC4654808 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0538-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Leptomonas is monogenetic kinetoplastid parasite of insects and is primitive in comparison to Leishmania. Comparative studies of these two kinetoplastid may share light on the evolutionary transition to dixenous parasitism in Leishmania. In order to adapt and survive within two hosts, Leishmania species must have acquired virulence factors in addition to mechanisms that mediate susceptibility/resistance to infection in the pathology associated with disease. Rab proteins are key mediators of vesicle transport and contribute greatly to the evolution of complexity of membrane transport system. In this study we used our whole genome sequence data of these two divergent kinetoplastids to analyze the orthologues/paralogues of Rab proteins. Results During change of lifestyle from monogenetic (Leptomonas) to digenetic (Leishmania), we found that the prenyl machinery remained unchanged. Geranylgeranyl transferase-I (GGTase-I) was absent in both Leishmania and its sister Leptomonas. Farnesyltransferase (FTase) and geranylgeranyl transferase-II (GGTase-II) were identified for protein prenylation. We predict that activity of the missing alpha-subunit (α-subunit) of GGTase-II in Leptomonas was probably contributed by the α-subunit of FTase, while beta-subunit (β-subunit) of GGTase-II was conserved and indicated functional conservation in the evolution of these two kinetoplastids. Therefore the β-subunit emerges as an excellent target for compounds inhibiting parasite activity in clinical cases of co-infections. We also confirmed that during the evolution to digenetic life style in Leishmania, the parasite acquired capabilities to evade drug action and maintain parasite virulence in the host with the incorporation of short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR/MDR) superfamily in Rab genes. Conclusion Our study based on whole genome sequences is the first to build comparative evolutionary analysis and identification of prenylation proteins in Leishmania and its sister Leptomonas. The information presented in our present work has importance for drug design targeted to kill L. donovani in humans but not affect the human form of the prenylation enzymes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0538-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indira Singh Chauhan
- Biochemistry Division, CSIR Central Drug Research Institute, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, 226031, India.
| | - Jaspreet Kaur
- Department of Biochemistry, Shri Ram Murti Smarak Institute of Medical Sciences, Bareilly, 243202, India.
| | - Shagun Krishna
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR Central Drug Research Institute, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, 226031, India.
| | | | - Prashant Singh
- Department of Chemistry, Dayanand Anglo Vedic (P.G.) College, Dehradun, 248001, India.
| | - Mohammad Imran Siddiqi
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR Central Drug Research Institute, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, 226031, India.
| | - Neeloo Singh
- Biochemistry Division, CSIR Central Drug Research Institute, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, 226031, India.
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Kotowski N, Jardim R, Dávila AMR. Improved orthologous databases to ease protozoan targets inference. Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:494. [PMID: 26416523 PMCID: PMC4587786 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-1090-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Homology inference helps on identifying similarities, as well as differences among organisms, which provides a better insight on how closely related one might be to another. In addition, comparative genomics pipelines are widely adopted tools designed using different bioinformatics applications and algorithms. In this article, we propose a methodology to build improved orthologous databases with the potential to aid on protozoan target identification, one of the many tasks which benefit from comparative genomics tools. Methods Our analyses are based on OrthoSearch, a comparative genomics pipeline originally designed to infer orthologs through protein-profile comparison, supported by an HMM, reciprocal best hits based approach. Our methodology allows OrthoSearch to confront two orthologous databases and to generate an improved new one. Such can be later used to infer potential protozoan targets through a similarity analysis against the human genome. Results The protein sequences of Cryptosporidium hominis, Entamoeba histolytica and Leishmania infantum genomes were comparatively analyzed against three orthologous databases: (i) EggNOG KOG, (ii) ProtozoaDB and (iii) Kegg Orthology (KO). That allowed us to create two new orthologous databases, “KO + EggNOG KOG” and “KO + EggNOG KOG + ProtozoaDB”, with 16,938 and 27,701 orthologous groups, respectively. Such new orthologous databases were used for a regular OrthoSearch run. By confronting “KO + EggNOG KOG” and “KO + EggNOG KOG + ProtozoaDB” databases and protozoan species we were able to detect the following total of orthologous groups and coverage (relation between the inferred orthologous groups and the species total number of proteins): Cryptosporidium hominis: 1,821 (11 %) and 3,254 (12 %); Entamoeba histolytica: 2,245 (13 %) and 5,305 (19 %); Leishmania infantum: 2,702 (16 %) and 4,760 (17 %). Using our HMM-based methodology and the largest created orthologous database, it was possible to infer 13 orthologous groups which represent potential protozoan targets; these were found because of our distant homology approach. We also provide the number of species-specific, pair-to-pair and core groups from such analyses, depicted in Venn diagrams. Conclusions The orthologous databases generated by our HMM-based methodology provide a broader dataset, with larger amounts of orthologous groups when compared to the original databases used as input. Those may be used for several homology inference analyses, annotation tasks and protozoan targets identification. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-015-1090-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson Kotowski
- Computational and Systems Biology Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Avenida Brasil, 4365, 21040-360, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Rodrigo Jardim
- Computational and Systems Biology Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Avenida Brasil, 4365, 21040-360, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Alberto M R Dávila
- Computational and Systems Biology Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Avenida Brasil, 4365, 21040-360, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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Kraeva N, Butenko A, Hlaváčová J, Kostygov A, Myškova J, Grybchuk D, Leštinová T, Votýpka J, Volf P, Opperdoes F, Flegontov P, Lukeš J, Yurchenko V. Leptomonas seymouri: Adaptations to the Dixenous Life Cycle Analyzed by Genome Sequencing, Transcriptome Profiling and Co-infection with Leishmania donovani. PLoS Pathog 2015; 11:e1005127. [PMID: 26317207 PMCID: PMC4552786 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2015] [Accepted: 08/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The co-infection cases involving dixenous Leishmania spp. (mostly of the L. donovani complex) and presumably monoxenous trypanosomatids in immunocompromised mammalian hosts including humans are well documented. The main opportunistic parasite has been identified as Leptomonas seymouri of the sub-family Leishmaniinae. The molecular mechanisms allowing a parasite of insects to withstand elevated temperature and substantially different conditions of vertebrate tissues are not understood. Here we demonstrate that L. seymouri is well adapted for the environment of the warm-blooded host. We sequenced the genome and compared the whole transcriptome profiles of this species cultivated at low and high temperatures (mimicking the vector and the vertebrate host, respectively) and identified genes and pathways differentially expressed under these experimental conditions. Moreover, Leptomonas seymouri was found to persist for several days in two species of Phlebotomus spp. implicated in Leishmania donovani transmission. Despite of all these adaptations, L. seymouri remains a predominantly monoxenous species not capable of infecting vertebrate cells under normal conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalya Kraeva
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Anzhelika Butenko
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Hlaváčová
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alexei Kostygov
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Jitka Myškova
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Danyil Grybchuk
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Leštinová
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Votýpka
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Petr Volf
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Fred Opperdoes
- de Duve Institute and Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Pavel Flegontov
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Julius Lukeš
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
- Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vyacheslav Yurchenko
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Gupta AK, Srivastava S, Singh A, Singh S. De Novo Whole-Genome Sequence and Annotation of a Leishmania Strain Isolated from a Case of Post-Kala-Azar Dermal Leishmaniasis. GENOME ANNOUNCEMENTS 2015; 3:3/4/e00809-15. [PMID: 26184949 PMCID: PMC4505137 DOI: 10.1128/genomea.00809-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The pathogenesis of post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is complex. Only 5 to 10% of kala-azar patients develop this dermal complication, and it is not known whether this is due to changes in the parasite genome or some host factors. Here, we report the whole-genome sequence and annotated genes of the whole genome of the PKDL strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anil Kumar Gupta
- Division of Clinical Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Saumya Srivastava
- Division of Clinical Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Amit Singh
- Division of Clinical Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Sarman Singh
- Division of Clinical Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
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Ajaoud M, Es-Sette N, Charrel RN, Laamrani-Idrissi A, Nhammi H, Riyad M, Lemrani M. Phlebotomus sergenti in a cutaneous leishmaniasis focus in Azilal province (High Atlas, Morocco): molecular detection and genotyping of Leishmania tropica, and feeding behavior. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015; 9:e0003687. [PMID: 25826399 PMCID: PMC4380298 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2014] [Accepted: 03/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Phlebotomus (Paraphlebotomus) sergenti is at least one of the confirmed vectors for the transmission of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania tropica and distributed widely in Morocco. This form of leishmaniasis is considered largely as anthroponotic, although dogs were found infected with Leishmania tropica, suggestive of zoonosis in some rural areas. Methodology and Findings This survey aimed at (i) studying the presence of Leishmania in field caught Phlebotomus sergenti, (ii) investigating genetic diversity within Leishmania tropica and (iii) identifying the host-blood feeding preferences of Phlebotomus sergenti. A total of 4,407 sand flies were collected in three rural areas of Azilal province, using CDC miniature light traps. Samples collected were found to consist of 13 species: Phlebotomus spp. and 3 Sergentomyia spp. The most abundant species was Phlebotomus sergenti, accounting for 45.75 % of the total. 965 female Phlebotomus sergenti were screened for the presence of Leishmania by ITS1-PCR-RFLP, giving a positive rate of 5.7% (55/965), all being identified as Leishmania tropica. Nucleotide heterogeneity of PCR-amplified ITS1-5.8S rRNA gene-ITS2 was noted. Analyses of 31 sequences obtained segregated them into 16 haplotypes, of which 7 contain superimposed peaks at certain nucleotide positions, suggestive of heterozygosity. Phlebotomus sergenti collected were found to feed on a large variety of vertebrate hosts, as determined by Cytochrome b sequencing of the DNA from the blood meals of 64 engorged females. Conclusion Our findings supported the notion that Phlebotomus sergenti is the primary vector of Leishmania tropica in this focus, and that the latter is genetically very heterogeneous. Furthermore, our results might be suggestive of a certain level of heterozygosity in Leishmania tropica population. This finding, as well as the feeding of the vectors on different animals are of interest for further investigation. In Morocco three Leishmania species have been reported to cause cutaneous leishmaniasis: Leishmania major, Leishmania tropica and less frequently Leishmania infantum. Amongst these clinically important Leishmania species, Leishmania tropica is considered as a public health problem by the Ministry of Health in Morocco and other endemic countries. Phlebotomus sergenti is the known vector, which is thought to take blood meals mainly from humans, since they appear to be the sole reservoir, considering anthroponosis of the cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by L. tropica in many endemic areas. In the present study, we investigated by molecular tools the presence of Leishmania in field caught Phlebotomus, as well as the heterogeneity of Leishmania tropica in a cutaneous leishmaniasis focus in High Atlas of Morocco. Our results showed a high infection rate of Phlebotomus sergenti, which may be a consequence of high level of the parasite circulating in this region; and underlined the important genetic heterogeneity of Leishmania tropica in Morocco. Analysis of the blood meals of the vectors showed that Phlebotomus sergenti fed on a variety of vertebrates, including wild animals, such as rodent, monkey and bat. Whether these animals play any role in the maintenance of Leishmania tropica in this focus awaits further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malika Ajaoud
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie et Maladies Vectorielles, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca, Morocco
- Centre d’Etudes Doctorales des Sciences de la Santé, Faculté de Médecine et Pharmacie, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Nargys Es-Sette
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie et Maladies Vectorielles, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Rémi N Charrel
- Aix Marseille University, IRD French Institute of Research for Development, EHESP French School of Public Health, EPV UMR_D 190 "Emergence des Pathologies Virales", & IHU Méditerranée Infection, APHM Public Hospitals of Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Abderahmane Laamrani-Idrissi
- Service de Parasitologie, Direction d'Epidémiologie et de Lutte contre les Maladies, Ministère de la Santé, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Haddou Nhammi
- Service de Parasitologie, Direction d'Epidémiologie et de Lutte contre les Maladies, Ministère de la Santé, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Myriam Riyad
- Centre d’Etudes Doctorales des Sciences de la Santé, Faculté de Médecine et Pharmacie, Casablanca, Morocco
- Equipe de Recherche sur les Leishmanioses Cutanées, Faculté de Médecine et Pharmacie, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Meryem Lemrani
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie et Maladies Vectorielles, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca, Morocco
- * E-mail:
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Ahuja K, Arora G, Khare P, Selvapandiyan A. Selective elimination of Leptomonas from the in vitro co-culture with Leishmania. Parasitol Int 2015; 64:1-5. [PMID: 25582929 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2015.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2014] [Revised: 12/30/2014] [Accepted: 01/02/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Leishmania and Leptomonas are protozoan parasites of the family Trypanosomatidae. Leishmania donovani causes the fatal visceral leishmaniasis (VL; kala-azar) in mammals and is transmitted by sand fly vector. Certain VL-cured human populations in India and Sudan develop post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) due to the same parasite. Although Leptomonas is parasitic mainly in insects, several recent reports on the clinical isolates of L. donovani from VL and PKDL patients in India confirm co-infection of Leptomonas seymouri, probably due to immune suppression in those individuals. Detection of L. seymouri in the in vitro cultures of L. donovani from clinical origin is difficult due to many similarities between L. seymouri and L. donovani. We describe here ways to detect L. seymouri and L. donovani in co-culture. In addition, based on our observation regarding the growth of L. seymouri in different culture conditions, we report here a novel procedure, which can selectively eliminate L. seymouri from the in vitro co-culture with L. donovani. This would be beneficial to researchers who prefer to deal with pure populations of Leishmania parasites for various downstream immunological and genetic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavita Ahuja
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, New Delhi India; Department of Research, Sir Gangaram Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - Ginni Arora
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, New Delhi India
| | | | - Angamuthu Selvapandiyan
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, New Delhi India; Department of Research, Sir Gangaram Hospital, New Delhi, India.
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Es-Sette N, Ajaoud M, Laamrani-Idrissi A, Mellouki F, Lemrani M. Molecular detection and identification of Leishmania infection in naturally infected sand flies in a focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in northern Morocco. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:305. [PMID: 24990497 PMCID: PMC4094396 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2014] [Accepted: 06/26/2014] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by various species of the flagellate protozoan Leishmania. During the past 20 years, cutaneous leishmaniasis has emerged as a major public health threat in Morocco. The main objective of this study was to study the occurrence of Leishmania infection in vectors and to identify sand fly blood meal sources in an endemic locality of cutaneous leishmaniasis within Sefrou province, where the vectors of leishmaniasis were still unknown. Methods 2650 sand flies were collected using CDC miniature light traps and identified morphologically. The identified sand flies were tested for Leishmania infection by nested PCR. The source of blood meal of 10 freshly engorged females: 6 Phlebotomus longicuspis and 4 Phlebotomus sergenti, was determined using the Cyt b sequence. Results The collected sand flies consisted of 10 species, seven of which belonged to the genus Phlebotomus and three to the genus Sergentomyia. The most abundant species was P. longicuspis, accounting for 72% of the total sand flies collected. In females of three P. longicuspis and four P. sergenti, Leishmania infantum and Leishmania tropica DNA was detected, respectively. The source of blood meal of engorged females showed that all sand flies tested fed on humans. Conclusions We report for the first time the natural infection of P. longicuspis with L. infantum in Morocco. The high frequency of this species in this region, in addition to its anthropophilic character make P. longicuspis the putative vector of L. infantum in this cutaneous leishmaniasis focus where L. tropica is confirmed as the causative agent of the disease and P. sergenti as its vector. The presence of L. infantum, and its presumed vector in this area, makes this a site of high risk of visceral leishmaniasis, mostly because of the proximity of a focus of human and canine visceral leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Meryem Lemrani
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie et Maladies Vectorielles, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, 1 Place Louis Pasteur, 20360 Casablanca, Morocco.
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Lukeš J, Skalický T, Týč J, Votýpka J, Yurchenko V. Evolution of parasitism in kinetoplastid flagellates. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2014; 195:115-22. [PMID: 24893339 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2014.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2014] [Revised: 05/20/2014] [Accepted: 05/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Kinetoplastid protists offer a unique opportunity for studying the evolution of parasitism. While all their close relatives are either photo- or phagotrophic, a number of kinetoplastid species are facultative or obligatory parasites, supporting a hypothesis that parasitism has emerged within this group of flagellates. In this review we discuss origin and evolution of parasitism in bodonids and trypanosomatids and specific adaptations allowing these protozoa to co-exist with their hosts. We also explore the limits of biodiversity of monoxenous (one host) trypanosomatids and some features distinguishing them from their dixenous (two hosts) relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julius Lukeš
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic.
| | - Tomáš Skalický
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Týč
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Jan Votýpka
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic; Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Sciences, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vyacheslav Yurchenko
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic; Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
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Yurchenko V, Votýpka J, Tesařová M, Klepetková H, Kraeva N, Jirků M, Lukeš J. Ultrastructure and molecular phylogeny of four new species of monoxenous trypanosomatids from flies (Diptera: Brachycera) with redefinition of the genus Wallaceina. Folia Parasitol (Praha) 2014. [DOI: 10.14411/fp.2014.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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Ferreira LR, Kesper N, Teixeira MM, Laurenti MD, Barbieri C, Lindoso JA, Umezawa ES. New insights about cross-reactive epitopes of six trypanosomatid genera revealed that Crithidia and Leptomonas have antigenic similarity to L. (L.) chagasi. Acta Trop 2014; 131:41-6. [PMID: 24275757 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2013.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Revised: 10/29/2013] [Accepted: 11/14/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
We investigated whether ELISA using crude antigens from insect and plant trypanosomatids, which are non-pathogenic and easily cultivated in large scale, has the same positivity data as Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi, the etiological agent of human visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or canine leishmaniasis (CanL), or as Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease (CD). The antigens from Crithidia fasciculata, Crithidia luciliae, and Leptomonas seymouri showed 100% cross-reactivity with VL and CanL samples, with no statistically titers differences from L. (L.) chagasi, however, 34% (17/50) of VL samples revealed higher titers using the insect trypanosomatids than the homologous antigen. On the other hand, antigens from Strigomonas culicis, Angomonas deanei, and Phytomonas serpens showed low cross-reactivity with VL and CanL samples. The sera from patients with American tegumentary leishmaniasis showed low levels of cross-reactivity with all trypanosomatids investigated, even with L. (L) chagasi, without titers dissimilarity among them. These parasites were also worthless as antigen source for detection of CD cases, which required homologous antigens to reach 100% positivity. This study showed, by ELISA, that crude extract of Crithidia and Leptomonas have epitopes similar to L. (L.) chagasi, which supports the idea of using them as antigens source for the serodiagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis.
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