Dados do Trabalho

Título

Phylogenetic placement of Leishmania (L.) chagasi isolated from non ulcerated cutaneous leishmaniasis in Honduras

Introdução

In Honduras, Leishmania (L.) chagasi is regarded as a causative agent of an atypical dermal leishmaniasis form, characterized by non ulcerated cutaneous lesions. Previous chromosome-scale full genome and molecular clock from the alpha subunit of DNA Polymerase (DNA Pol alpha) analysis have demonstrated, respectively, structural variation and older ancestry of this species, when compared to closely related parasites from the donovani complex.

Objetivo (s)

Provide phylogenetic evidence for the taxonomic placement of Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi isolated from non ulcerated cutaneous leishmaniasis, Honduras, Central America.

Material e Métodos

Sequences of the target strain (MHOM/HD/2017/M32502), were analyzed together with representative sequences of different Leishmaniine species, covering subgenera/complexes from the New and Old World. Two different partial gene sequences were analyzed: the large subunit of RNA Polymerase II (RNA Pol II), and the DNA Pol alpha. Alignment and tree building was performed using the MEGA software for further tree construction using the maximum likelihood (ML) and Neighbor Joining (NJ). Trees were generated for each data set, bootstrapping with 1,000 replicates. Porcisia hertigi was included as a closely related outgroup.

Resultados e Conclusão

For the two gene datasets, the target strain clustered within the L. (Leishmania) subgenus, donovani complex. Interestingly, it slightly diverged from the L. infantum (European) / L. chagasi (South American) branch, with well supported bootstrap values. This divergence was more pronounced in the NJ - RNA Pol II tree, where the target strain diverged, not only from the L. infantum (European) / L. chagasi (South American) taxa, but also from L. donovani. Present phylogenetic reconstruction adds weight to the hypothesis of putative distinct lineages of L. (L.) chagasi from South and Central America.

Palavras-chave

Leishmania; Honduras; Phylogeny

Agradecimentos

Instituto Evandro Chagas/SVSA/MS