Transcriptomics analysis highlights potential ways in human pathogenesis in Leishmania braziliensis infected with the viral endosymbiont LRV1.

The parasite Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis is widely distributed in Brazil and is one of the main species associated with human cases of different forms of tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL) such as cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and mucosal leishmaniasis (ML). The mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of TL are still not fully understood, but it is known that factors related to the host and the parasite act in a synergistic and relevant way to direct the response to the infection. In the host, macrophages have a central connection with the parasite and play a fundamental role in the defense of the organism due to their ability to destroy intracellular parasites and present antigens.

HRM Accuracy and Limitations as a Species Typing Tool for Parasites.

High Resolution Melting Analysis (HRM) has been pointed out as a suitable alternative method to detect and identify species. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and limitations of a HSP70-HRM protocol both as a diagnostic scheme applied in clinical samples and as a species typing tool for laboratory research and reference services. Our data reveal the pronounced species-typing potential of the HSP70-HRM in DNA from cultured parasites.

Exploring Host-Specificity: Untangling the Relationship between () Species and Its Endosymbiont 1.

A relevant aspect in the epidemiology of Tegumentary Leishmaniasis (TL) are the parasites carrying a viral endosymbiont, 1 (LRV1), a dsRNA virus. parasites carrying LRV1 are prone to causing more severe TL symptoms, increasing the likelihood of unfavorable clinical outcomes. LRV1 has been observed in the cultured strains of five () species, and host specificity was suggested when studying the LRV1 from and strains.

Leishmania (Viannia) naiffi Lainson & Shaw 1989.

Just over 30 years ago, a new species of Leishmania of the subgenus Leishmania (Viannia) was described infecting the armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus; then, a report of human infection followed. From the Brazilian Amazon and apparently restricted to this region and its close borders, Leishmania (Viannia) naiffi has been characterized as a species that grows easily in axenic culture medium and causes few to no lesions after inoculation in experimental animal models. Results in the last decade indicate the occurrence of L.