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Paun A, Grigg ME. Rapid detection, quantification and speciation of Leishmania using real-time PCR and DNA sequencing at the rRNA Internal Transcribed Spacer 2. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.20.595045. [PMID: 38903118 PMCID: PMC11188097 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.20.595045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
The ability to discriminate infection between closely related Leishmania species within the Viannia species complex, specifically L. braziliensis, L. guyanensis and L. panamensis is critical to inform the clinical diagnosis and determine the most efficacious treatment modality. We designed a nested primer set targeting the rRNA Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2), located on Chromosome 27, to distinguish among all human infective Leishmania species. Separate nested and single primer pairs were developed for conventional and quantitative PCR approaches respectively. Species-specific single nucleotide polymorphisms and indels located within the PCR products were identified by Sanger sequencing. This single locus approach provides a sensitive and specific platform to identify the species of Leishmania causing infection.
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LA LADN, Hernández-Pereira CE, Castillo-Castañeda AC, Patiño LH, Castañeda S, Herrera G, Mogollón E, Muñoz M, Duran A, Loyo D, Pacheco M, Arena L, Isquiel G, Yepez L, Colmenarez B, Caviedes M, Mendez Y, Herrera S, Ramírez JD, Paniz-Mondolfi AE. Diversity and geographical distribution of Leishmania species and the emergence of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum and L. (Viannia) panamensis in Central-Western Venezuela. Acta Trop 2023; 242:106901. [PMID: 36940857 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Transmission of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Venezuela reveals diverse and changing epidemiological landscapes, as well as a spectrum of clinical phenotypes presumed to be linked to a variety of Leishmania species. Central-western Venezuela constitutes one of the highest endemic epicenters in the country, yet updated molecular epidemiological information is still lacking. Therefore, in this study we aimed to characterize the landscape of circulating Leishmania species across central-western Venezuela through the last two decades, performed comparisons of haplotype and nucleotide diversity, and built a geospatial map of parasite species distribution. A total of 120 clinical samples were collected from patients across the cutaneous disease spectrum, retrieving parasitic DNA, and further characterizing by PCR and sequencing of the HSP70 gene fragment. This data was later collated with further genetic, geospatial and epidemiological analyses. A peculiar pattern of species occurrence including Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis (77.63% N=59), Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum (14.47% N=11), Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis (5.26% N=4) and Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis (2.63% N=2) was revealed, also highlighting a very low genetic diversity amongst all analyzed sequences. Geographical distribution showed that most cases are widely distributed across the greater urban-sub urban area of the Irribaren municipality. L.(L.) amazonensis appears to be widely dispersed throughout Lara state. Statistical analyses failed to reveal significance for any comparisons, leading to conclude a lack of association between the infective Leishmania species and clinical phenotypes. To the best of our knowledge, this is an unprecedented study which addresses comprehensively the geographical distribution of Leishmania species in central-western Venezuela throughout the last two decades, and the first to incriminate L. (L.) infantum as an etiologic agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in this region. Our findings support that Leishmania endemism in central-western Venezuela is caused mainly by L.(L.) amazonensis. Future studies are needed to unveil additional details on the ecological intricacies and transmission aspects of leishmaniasis (i.e. sampling phlebotomines and mammals) and to adopt adequate public health prevention and control strategies and mitigate disease impact in this endemic region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lourdes A Delgado-Noguera LA
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas IDB/Emerging Pathogens Network-Incubadora Venezolana de la Ciencia, Cabudare, 3023, Venezuela; Escuela de Medicina "Dr Pablo Acosta Ortiz". Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado (UCLA), Barquisimeto, Lara, Venezuela
| | - Carlos E Hernández-Pereira
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas IDB/Emerging Pathogens Network-Incubadora Venezolana de la Ciencia, Cabudare, 3023, Venezuela
| | - Adriana C Castillo-Castañeda
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Luz Helena Patiño
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia; Servicio de Dermatología Sanitaria del Estado Lara, Barquisimeto, Venezuela
| | - Sergio Castañeda
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Giovanny Herrera
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Euler Mogollón
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas IDB/Emerging Pathogens Network-Incubadora Venezolana de la Ciencia, Cabudare, 3023, Venezuela; Escuela de Medicina "Dr Pablo Acosta Ortiz". Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado (UCLA), Barquisimeto, Lara, Venezuela
| | - Marina Muñoz
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Alexander Duran
- Servicio de Dermatología Sanitaria del Estado Lara, Barquisimeto, Venezuela
| | - Doris Loyo
- Servicio de Dermatología Sanitaria del Estado Lara, Barquisimeto, Venezuela
| | - Mirna Pacheco
- Servicio de Dermatología Sanitaria del Estado Lara, Barquisimeto, Venezuela
| | - Luzmir Arena
- Servicio de Dermatología Sanitaria del Estado Lara, Barquisimeto, Venezuela
| | - Glenis Isquiel
- Servicio de Dermatología Sanitaria del Estado Lara, Barquisimeto, Venezuela
| | - Lisbeth Yepez
- Servicio de Dermatología Sanitaria del Estado Lara, Barquisimeto, Venezuela
| | - Beatriz Colmenarez
- Servicio de Dermatología Sanitaria del Estado Lara, Barquisimeto, Venezuela
| | - Mayeli Caviedes
- Servicio de Dermatología Sanitaria del Estado Lara, Barquisimeto, Venezuela
| | - Yamilet Mendez
- Servicio de Dermatología Sanitaria del Estado Lara, Barquisimeto, Venezuela
| | - Sandry Herrera
- Servicio de Dermatología Sanitaria del Estado Lara, Barquisimeto, Venezuela
| | - Juan David Ramírez
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia; Department of Pathology, Molecular, and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Alberto E Paniz-Mondolfi
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas IDB/Emerging Pathogens Network-Incubadora Venezolana de la Ciencia, Cabudare, 3023, Venezuela; Department of Pathology, Molecular, and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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Hadermann A, Heeren S, Maes I, Dujardin JC, Domagalska MA, Van den Broeck F. Genome diversity of Leishmania aethiopica. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1147998. [PMID: 37153154 PMCID: PMC10157169 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1147998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmania aethiopica is a zoonotic Old World parasite transmitted by Phlebotomine sand flies and causing cutaneous leishmaniasis in Ethiopia and Kenya. Despite a range of clinical manifestations and a high prevalence of treatment failure, L. aethiopica is one of the most neglected species of the Leishmania genus in terms of scientific attention. Here, we explored the genome diversity of L. aethiopica by analyzing the genomes of twenty isolates from Ethiopia. Phylogenomic analyses identified two strains as interspecific hybrids involving L. aethiopica as one parent and L. donovani and L. tropica respectively as the other parent. High levels of genome-wide heterozygosity suggest that these two hybrids are equivalent to F1 progeny that propagated mitotically since the initial hybridization event. Analyses of allelic read depths further revealed that the L. aethiopica - L. tropica hybrid was diploid and the L. aethiopica - L. donovani hybrid was triploid, as has been described for other interspecific Leishmania hybrids. When focusing on L. aethiopica, we show that this species is genetically highly diverse and consists of both asexually evolving strains and groups of recombining parasites. A remarkable observation is that some L. aethiopica strains showed an extensive loss of heterozygosity across large regions of the nuclear genome, which likely arose from gene conversion/mitotic recombination. Hence, our prospection of L. aethiopica genomics revealed new insights into the genomic consequences of both meiotic and mitotic recombination in Leishmania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber Hadermann
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Senne Heeren
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ilse Maes
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jean-Claude Dujardin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Malgorzata Anna Domagalska
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Frederik Van den Broeck, ; Malgorzata Anna Domagalska,
| | - Frederik Van den Broeck
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Frederik Van den Broeck, ; Malgorzata Anna Domagalska,
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Hoyos J, Rosales-Chilama M, León C, González C, Gómez MA. Sequencing of hsp70 for discernment of species from the Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis complex from endemic areas in Colombia. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:406. [PMID: 36329517 PMCID: PMC9635106 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05438-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Colombia is ranked very high among countries with the highest numbers of endemic Leishmania species (n = 9) causing human disease. Although much effort has been devoted to generating simple and specific tools for Leishmania species identification, challenges remain in the discrimination of species belonging to the Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis complex: L. (V.) guyanensis and L. (V.) panamensis. METHODS A set of seven reference strains of species belonging to the L. (Leishmania) and L. (Viannia) subgenera, clinical strains from human cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL; n = 26) and samples collected from sylvatic mammals and sand flies (n = 7) from endemic areas in Colombia were analyzed in this study. The heat-shock protein 70 gene (hsp70) was amplified by PCR from DNA extracted from logarithmic-phase promastigotes or tissue samples, and the PCR products were sequenced. Sequence alignment was performed against a set of previously published and curated sequences, and phylogenetic analysis based on the maximum-likelihood and Bayesian inference approaches was conducted. Haplotype diversity among strains and species of the L. (V.) guyanensis complex was explored using a median-joining network. RESULTS Sequencing of the hsp70 gene for L. (Viannia) spp. typing was comparable to species identification using isoenzyme electrophoresis or monoclonal antibodies. Complete species matching was found, except for one sylvatic sample with an identity yet unsolved. Among the L. (V.) panamensis clinical strains, two distinctive phylogenetic clusters were found to correlate with two different zymodemes: L. (V.) panamensis Z2.2 and Z2.3. Analysis of samples from sylvatic environments identified novel records of naturally infected wild mammal and sand fly species. CONCLUSIONS Our results support the adequacy of hsp70 gene sequencing as a single-locus approach for discrimination of L. (Viannia) spp., as well as for exploring the genetic diversity within the L. (V.) guyanensis complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Hoyos
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología Y Parasitología Tropical (CIMPAT), Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, D.C Colombia
- Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento E Investigaciones Médicas (CIDEIM), Campus de la Universidad Icesi (Edificio O), Cali, Colombia
- Present Address: Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - Mariana Rosales-Chilama
- Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento E Investigaciones Médicas (CIDEIM), Campus de la Universidad Icesi (Edificio O), Cali, Colombia
- Universidad Icesi, Cali, Colombia
| | - Cielo León
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología Y Parasitología Tropical (CIMPAT), Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, D.C Colombia
| | - Camila González
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología Y Parasitología Tropical (CIMPAT), Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, D.C Colombia
| | - María Adelaida Gómez
- Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento E Investigaciones Médicas (CIDEIM), Campus de la Universidad Icesi (Edificio O), Cali, Colombia
- Universidad Icesi, Cali, Colombia
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Llanes A, Cruz G, Morán M, Vega C, Pineda VJ, Ríos M, Penagos H, Suárez JA, Saldaña A, Lleonart R, Restrepo CM. Genomic diversity and genetic variation of Leishmania panamensis within its endemic range. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2022; 103:105342. [PMID: 35878820 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2022.105342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Species belonging to the Leishmania (Viannia) subgenus are important causative agents of cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis in Central and South America. These parasites possess several distinctive biological features that are influenced by their genetics, population structure, and genome instability. To date, several studies have revealed varying degrees of genetic diversity within Leishmania species. Particularly, in species of the L. (Viannia) subgenus, a generalized high intraspecific genetic diversity has been reported, although, conflicting conclusions have been drawn using different molecular techniques. Despite being the most common Leishmania species circulating in Panama and Colombia, few studies have analyzed clinical samples of Leishmania panamensis using whole-genome sequencing, and their restricted number of samples has limited the information they can provide to understand the population structure of L. panamensis. Here, we used next generation sequencing (NGS) to explore the genetic diversity of L. panamensis within its endemic range, analyzing data from 43 isolates of Colombian and Panamanian origin. Our results show the occurrence of three well-defined geographically correlated groups, and suggests the possible occurrence of additional phylogeographic groups. Furthermore, these results support the existence of a mixed mode of reproduction in L. panamensis, with varying frequencies of events of genetic recombination occurring primarily within subpopulations of closely related strains. This study offers important insights into the population genetics and reproduction mode of L. panamensis, paving the way to better understand their population structure and the emergence and maintenance of key eco-epidemiological traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Llanes
- Centro de Biología Celular y Molecular de Enfermedades, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP), Panama City, Panama, Panama
| | - Génesis Cruz
- Escuela de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Exactas y Tecnología, Universidad de Panamá, Panama City, Panama, Panama
| | - Mitchelle Morán
- Centro de Biología Celular y Molecular de Enfermedades, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP), Panama City, Panama, Panama
| | - Carlos Vega
- Escuela de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Exactas y Tecnología, Universidad de Panamá, Panama City, Panama, Panama
| | - Vanessa J Pineda
- Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud (ICGES), Panama City, Panama, Panama
| | - Margarita Ríos
- Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud (ICGES), Panama City, Panama, Panama
| | - Homero Penagos
- Hospital Regional Dr. Rafael Hernández, Caja de Seguro Social, David, Chiriquí, Panama; Sistema Nacional de Investigación-Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (SNI-SENACYT), Panama City, Panama, Panama
| | - José A Suárez
- Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud (ICGES), Panama City, Panama, Panama; Sistema Nacional de Investigación-Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (SNI-SENACYT), Panama City, Panama, Panama
| | - Azael Saldaña
- Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud (ICGES), Panama City, Panama, Panama; Sistema Nacional de Investigación-Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (SNI-SENACYT), Panama City, Panama, Panama
| | - Ricardo Lleonart
- Centro de Biología Celular y Molecular de Enfermedades, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP), Panama City, Panama, Panama; Sistema Nacional de Investigación-Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (SNI-SENACYT), Panama City, Panama, Panama.
| | - Carlos M Restrepo
- Centro de Biología Celular y Molecular de Enfermedades, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP), Panama City, Panama, Panama; Sistema Nacional de Investigación-Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (SNI-SENACYT), Panama City, Panama, Panama.
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Patiño LH, Muñoz M, Pavia P, Muskus C, Shaban M, Paniz-Mondolfi A, Ramírez JD. Filling the gaps in Leishmania naiffi and Leishmania guyanensis genome plasticity. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2021; 12:6427546. [PMID: 34791158 PMCID: PMC8727957 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Insufficient and irregular data reports on Leishmaniasis, issuing from the developing world, have left much to be desired in terms of understanding the molecular signatures producing distinct infectious phenotypes of the disease. Herein, we report on the complete genome sequencing of Leishmania naiffi and Leishmania guyanensis, sampled from patients in regions of Colombia and Venezuela. In this study, the isolates of cutaneous lesions from both species presented limited structural variation at the chromosomal level, low gene copy number variation, and high genetic heterogeneity. We compared these sequences to the reference genomes hitherto related from Brazil and French Guyana. Although of the same species, we note a consequential genomic disparity between the Venezuelan and French Guyanese isolates of L. guyanensis. Although less significant on the global schema of cutaneous and mucosal disease, such genomic studies of L. naiffi and L. guyanensis substantiate the gaps in understanding of the molecular architecture and multivariate clinical pictures of Leishmaniasis, on an international scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luz H Patiño
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Marina Muñoz
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Carlos Muskus
- Programa de Estudios y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales (PECET), Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Maryia Shaban
- Incubadora Venezolana de la Ciencia/Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas IDB, Barquisimeto, Venezuela
| | - Alberto Paniz-Mondolfi
- Department of Pathology, Molecular, and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Juan David Ramírez
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.,Department of Pathology, Molecular, and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
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Development of an Amplicon-Based Next-Generation Sequencing Protocol to Identify Leishmania Species and Other Trypanosomatids in Leishmaniasis Endemic Areas. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0065221. [PMID: 34643453 PMCID: PMC8515931 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00652-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosomatid infections are an important public health threat affecting many low-income countries across the tropics, particularly in the Americas. Trypanosomatids can infect many vertebrate, invertebrate, and plant species and play an important role as human pathogens. Among these clinically relevant pathogens are species from the genera Leishmania and Trypanosoma. Mixed trypanosomatid infections remain a largely unexplored phenomenon. Herein, we describe the application of an amplicon-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) assay to detect and identify trypanosomatid species in mammalian reservoirs, human patients, and sand fly vectors throughout regions of Leishmania endemicity. Sixty-five samples from different departments of Colombia, including two samples from Venezuela, were analyzed: 49 samples from cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) patients, 8 from sand flies, 2 from domestic reservoirs (Canis familiaris), and 6 from wild reservoirs (Phyllostomus hastatus). DNA from each sample served to identify the presence of trypanosomatids through conventional PCR using heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) gene as the target. PCR products underwent sequencing by Sanger sequencing and NGS, and trypanosomatid species were identified by using BLASTn against a reference database built from trypanosomatid-derived HSP70 sequences. The alpha and beta diversity indexes of amplicon sequence variants were calculated for each group. The results revealed the presence of mixed infections with more than two Leishmania species in 34% of CL samples analyzed. Trypanosoma cruzi was identified in samples from wild reservoirs, as well as in sand fly vectors. Coinfection events with three different Leishmania species were identified in domestic reservoirs. These findings depose the traditional paradigm of leishmaniasis as being a single-species-driven infection and redraw the choreography of host-pathogen interaction in the context of multiparasitism. Further research is needed to decipher how coinfections may influence disease progression. This knowledge is key to developing an integrated approach for diagnosis and treatment. IMPORTANCE Traditionally, there has been a frequent, yet incorrect assumption that phlebotomine vectors, animal reservoirs, and human hosts are susceptible to Leishmania infection by a single parasite species. However, current evidence supports that these new vector-parasite-reservoir associations lend vectors and reservoirs greater permissiveness to certain Leishmania species, thus promoting the appearance of coinfection events, particularly in disease-endemic regions. The present study describes the application of an amplicon-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) assay to detect and identify trypanosomatid species in mammalian reservoirs, human patients, and sand fly vectors from regions of endemicity for leishmaniasis. This changes our understanding of the clinical course of leishmaniasis in areas of endemicity.
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Antonia AL, Barnes AB, Martin AT, Wang L, Ko DC. Variation in Leishmania chemokine suppression driven by diversification of the GP63 virulence factor. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009224. [PMID: 34710089 PMCID: PMC8577781 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease with diverse outcomes ranging from self-healing lesions, to progressive non-healing lesions, to metastatic spread and destruction of mucous membranes. Although resolution of cutaneous leishmaniasis is a classic example of type-1 immunity leading to self-healing lesions, an excess of type-1 related inflammation can contribute to immunopathology and metastatic spread. Leishmania genetic diversity can contribute to variation in polarization and robustness of the immune response through differences in both pathogen sensing by the host and immune evasion by the parasite. In this study, we observed a difference in parasite chemokine suppression between the Leishmania (L.) subgenus and the Viannia (V.) subgenus, which is associated with severe immune-mediated pathology such as mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. While Leishmania (L.) subgenus parasites utilize the virulence factor and metalloprotease glycoprotein-63 (gp63) to suppress the type-1 associated host chemokine CXCL10, L. (V.) panamensis did not suppress CXCL10. To understand the molecular basis for the inter-species variation in chemokine suppression, we used in silico modeling to identify a putative CXCL10-binding site on GP63. The putative CXCL10 binding site is in a region of gp63 under significant positive selection, and it varies from the L. major wild-type sequence in all gp63 alleles identified in the L. (V.) panamensis reference genome. Mutating wild-type L. (L.) major gp63 to the L. (V.) panamensis sequence at the putative binding site impaired cleavage of CXCL10 but not a non-specific protease substrate. Notably, Viannia clinical isolates confirmed that L. (V.) panamensis primarily encodes non-CXCL10-cleaving gp63 alleles. In contrast, L. (V.) braziliensis has an intermediate level of activity, consistent with this species having more equal proportions of both alleles. Our results demonstrate how parasite genetic diversity can contribute to variation in immune responses to Leishmania spp. infection that may play critical roles in the outcome of infection. Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by Leishmania parasites and spread by the bites of infected sand flies. Most cases of leishmaniasis present as self-healing sores that are resolved by a balanced immune response. Other cases of leishmaniasis involve spread to sites distant from the original bite, including damage of the inner surfaces of the mouth and nose. These cases of leishmaniasis involve an excessive immune response. Leishmania parasites produce virulence factor proteins, such as GP63, to trick the immune system into mounting a weaker response. GP63 specifically degrades signaling proteins that attract and activate certain immune cells. Here, we demonstrate that Leishmania parasite species have evolved to differ in their ability to degrade signaling proteins. In Leishmania species known to cause more immune-mediated tissue damage, the GP63 virulence factor has evolved to not degrade specific immune signaling proteins, thus attracting, and activating more immune cells. Our results demonstrate how diversity among Leishmania parasite species can contribute to variation in immune responses that may play critical roles in the outcome of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro L. Antonia
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Alyson B. Barnes
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Amelia T. Martin
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Liuyang Wang
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Dennis C. Ko
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Patino LH, Castillo-Castañeda A, Muñoz M, Muskus C, Rivero-Rodríguez M, Pérez-Doria A, Bejarano EE, Ramírez JD. Revisiting the heterogeneous global genomic population structure of Leishmania infantum. Microb Genom 2021; 7. [PMID: 34491157 PMCID: PMC8715437 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmania infantum is the main causative agent responsible for visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a disease with global distribution. The genomic structure and genetic variation of this species have been widely studied in different parts of the world. However, in some countries, this information is still yet unknown, as is the genomic behaviour of the main antigens used in VL diagnosis (rK39 and rK28), which have demonstrated variable sensitivity and specificity in a manner dependent on the geographic region analysed. The objective of this study was to explore the genomic architecture and diversity of four Colombian L. infantum isolates obtained in this study and to compare these results with the genetic analysis of 183 L. infantum isolates from across the world (obtained from public databases), as well as to analyse the whole rK39 and rK28 antigen sequences in our dataset. The results showed that, at the global level, L. infantum has high genetic homogeneity and extensive aneuploidy. Furthermore, we demonstrated that there are distinct populations of L. infantum circulating in various countries throughout the globe and that populations of distant countries have close genomic relationships. Additionally, this study demonstrated the high genetic variability of the rK28 antigen worldwide. In conclusion, our study allowed us to (i) expand our knowledge of the genomic structure of global L. infantum; (ii) describe the intra-specific genomic variability of this species; and (iii) understand the genomic characteristics of the main antigens used in the diagnosis of VL. Additionally, this is the first study to report whole-genome sequences of Colombian L. infantum isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luz H Patino
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Adriana Castillo-Castañeda
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Marina Muñoz
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Carlos Muskus
- Programa de Estudios y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales (PECET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Matilde Rivero-Rodríguez
- Grupo de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad de Sucre, Sincelejo, Colombia.,Candidata a doctor en Medicina Tropical, Universidad de Cartagena-SUE Caribe, Colombia
| | - Alveiro Pérez-Doria
- Grupo de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad de Sucre, Sincelejo, Colombia
| | - Eduar E Bejarano
- Grupo de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad de Sucre, Sincelejo, Colombia
| | - Juan David Ramírez
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
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Miranda ADC, González KA, Samudio F, Pineda VJ, Calzada JE, Capitan-Barrios Z, Jiménez A, Castillo J, Mendoza Y, Suárez JA, Ortiz B, Méndez J, Pascale JM, Grögl M, Sosa N, Saldaña A. Molecular Identification of Parasites Causing Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Panama. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2021; 104:1326-1334. [PMID: 33432903 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-1336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Isolates from 475 cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) patients from three endemic regions were studied by three typing techniques. The molecular analysis from lesion scrapings based on hsp70 PCR-RFLP showed that 78.1% (371/475) restriction patterns corresponded to Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis, 19% (90/475) to Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis, and 3.0% (14/475) to Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis. Promastigotes isolated by culture from lesions of 228 patients (48.0%, 228/475) were identified by multi-locus enzyme electrophoresis. Of them, 95.2% (217/228) were typified as L. (V.) panamensis, 1.3% (3/228) as L. (V.) guyanensis, 2.2% (5/228) as L. (V.) braziliensis, and 1.3% (3/228) as hybrids (L. [V.] braziliensis/L. [V.] panamensis). However, a partial sequencing analysis of the hsp70 gene from 77 selected samples showed 16.9% (13/77) typified as L. (V.) panamensis, 68.8% (53/77) as Leishmania (V.) sp., 1, 3.9% (3/77) as L. (V.) guyanensis, 1.3% (1/77) as L. (V.) braziliensis outlier, 2.6% (2/77) as Leishmania (Viannia) naiffi, 2.6% as (2/77) Leishmania (V.) sp., and 2 and 3.9% (3/77) hybrid isolates of L. (V.) braziliensis/L. (V.) guyanensis. These results confirm L. (V.) panamensis as the predominant species and cause of CL lesions in Panama and that L. (V.) guyanensis, L. (V.) braziliensis, and L. (V.) naiffi are circulating to a lower degree. Furthermore, the determination of parasite isolates belonging to atypical clusters and hybrid isolates suggests the circulation of genetic variants with important implications for the epidemiology and clinical follow-up of CL in Panama. No evidence of the existence of parasites of the Leishmania (Leishmania) mexicana complex in Panamanian territory was found in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kadir A González
- Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud (ICGES), Panama, Panama
| | - Franklyn Samudio
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Exactas y Tecnología, Universidad de Panamá, Panama, Panama.,Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud (ICGES), Panama, Panama
| | - Vanessa J Pineda
- Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud (ICGES), Panama, Panama
| | - José E Calzada
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad de Panamá, Panama, Panama.,Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud (ICGES), Panama, Panama
| | | | - Ana Jiménez
- Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud (ICGES), Panama, Panama
| | - Juan Castillo
- Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud (ICGES), Panama, Panama
| | - Yaxelis Mendoza
- Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud (ICGES), Panama, Panama
| | - José A Suárez
- Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud (ICGES), Panama, Panama
| | - Betsi Ortiz
- Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud (ICGES), Panama, Panama
| | - Juan Méndez
- Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland
| | - Juan M Pascale
- Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud (ICGES), Panama, Panama
| | - Max Grögl
- U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6, Lima, Peru
| | - Néstor Sosa
- Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud (ICGES), Panama, Panama
| | - Azael Saldaña
- Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud (ICGES), Panama, Panama.,Centro de Investigación y Diagnóstico de Enfermedades Parasitarias (CIDEP), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Panamá, Panama, Panama
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11
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Patino LH, Muñoz M, Cruz-Saavedra L, Muskus C, Ramírez JD. Genomic Diversification, Structural Plasticity, and Hybridization in Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:582192. [PMID: 33178631 PMCID: PMC7596589 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.582192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis is an important Leishmania species circulating in several Central and South American countries. Among Leishmania species circulating in Brazil, Argentina and Colombia, L. braziliensis has the highest genomic variability. However, genomic variability at the whole genome level has been only studied in Brazilian and Peruvian isolates; to date, no Colombian isolates have been studied. Considering that in Colombia, L. braziliensis is a species with great clinical and therapeutic relevance, as well as the role of genetic variability in the epidemiology of leishmaniasis, we analyzed and evaluated intraspecific genomic variability of L. braziliensis from Colombian and Bolivian isolates and compared them with Brazilian isolates. Twenty-one genomes were analyzed, six from Colombian patients, one from a Bolivian patient, and 14 Brazilian isolates downloaded from public databases. The results obtained of Phylogenomic analysis showed the existence of four well-supported clades, which evidenced intraspecific variability. The whole-genome analysis revealed structural variations in the somy, mainly in the Brazilian genomes (clade 1 and clade 3), low copy number variations, and a moderate number of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in all genomes analyzed. Interestingly, the genomes belonging to clades 2 and 3 from Colombia and Brazil, respectively, were characterized by low heterozygosity (~90% of SNP loci were homozygous) and regions suggestive of loss of heterozygosity (LOH). Additionally, we observed the drastic whole genome loss of heterozygosity and possible hybridization events in one genome belonging to clade 4. Unique/shared SNPs between and within the four clades were identified, revealing the importance of some of them in biological processes of L. braziliensis. Our analyses demonstrate high genomic variability of L. braziliensis in different regions of South America, mainly in Colombia and suggest that this species exhibits striking genomic diversity and a capacity of genomic hybridization; additionally, this is the first study to report whole-genome sequences of Colombian L. braziliensis isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luz H Patino
- Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Marina Muñoz
- Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Lissa Cruz-Saavedra
- Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Carlos Muskus
- Programa de Estudio y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales (PECET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Juan David Ramírez
- Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
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