BACKGROUND: Trypanosomatids of the genus Leishmania are parasites of mammals or reptiles transmitted by bloodsucking dipterans. Many species of these flagellates cause important human diseases with clinical symptoms ranging from skin sores to life-threatening damage of visceral organs. The genus Leishmania contains four subgenera: Leishmania, Sauroleishmania, Viannia, and Mundinia. The last subgenus has been established recently and remains understudied, although Mundinia contains human-infecting species. In addition, it is interesting from the evolutionary viewpoint, representing the earliest branch within the genus and possibly with a different type of vector. Here we analyzed the genomes of L. (M.) martiniquensis, L. (M.) enriettii and L. (M.) macropodum to better understand the biology and evolution of these parasites. RESULTS: All three genomes analyzed were approximately of the same size (~ 30 Mb) and similar to that of L. (Sauroleishmania) tarentolae, but smaller than those of the members of subgenera Leishmania and Viannia, or the genus Endotrypanum (~ 32 Mb). This difference was explained by domination of gene losses over gains and contractions over expansions at the Mundinia node, although only a few of these genes could be identified. The analysis predicts significant changes in the Mundinia cell surface architecture, with the most important ones relating to losses of LPG-modifying side chain galactosyltransferases and arabinosyltransferases, as well as β-amastins. Among other important changes were gene family contractions for the oxygen-sensing adenylate cyclases and FYVE zinc finger-containing proteins. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that adaptation of Mundinia to different vectors and hosts has led to alternative host-parasite relationships and, thereby, made some proteins redundant. Thus, the evolution of genomes in the genus Leishmania and, in particular, in the subgenus Mundinia was mainly shaped by host (or vector) switches.

Biology Centre Institute of Parasitology Czech Academy of Sciences České Budejovice Czech Republic

Department of Parasitology Faculty of Science Charles University Prague Czech Republic

Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Medicine Lancaster University Lancaster UK

e Duve Institute Université Catholique de Louvain Brussels Belgium

Life Science Research Centre Faculty of Science University of Ostrava Ostrava Czech Republic

Life Science Research Centre Faculty of Science University of Ostrava Ostrava Czech Republic Biology Centre Institute of Parasitology Czech Academy of Sciences České Budejovice Czech Republic

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

Life Science Research Centre Faculty of Science University of Ostrava Ostrava Czech Republic Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences St Petersburg Russia

Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases Sechenov University Moscow Russia

Citace poskytuje Crossref.org