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. The coevolution hypothesis of LRV1 and was based on phylogenetic analyses, implying an association between LRV1 genotypes, species, and their geographic origins. This study aimed to investigate LRV1 specificity relative to () species hosts by analyzing LRV1 from () species. To this end, LRV1 was screened in () species other than or , and it was detected in 11 out of 15 and two out of four . Phylogenetic analyses based on partial LRV1 genomic sequencing supported the hypothesis of host specificity, as LRV1 clustered according to their respective species' hosts. These findings underscore the importance of investigating and LRV1 coevolution and its impact on () species dispersion and pathogenesis in the American Continent.