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Sample records for leishmania major promastigote

  1. Effect of Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff essential oil on promastigot form of Leishmania major (in vitro)

    OpenAIRE

    Pirali Kheirabadi Khodadad; Saei Dehkordi Siavash; Kheibari Parviz

    2015-01-01

    Introduction: Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease caused by a protozoan of the genus Leishmania. In this study, the effects of Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff essential oil on the promastigot form of Leishmania major were studied. Methods: In this study, the effects of Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff essential oil on the promastigot form of Leishmania major were assessed by calculating the average number of surviving promastigots after exposure to different concentrations of essential oil, relativ...

  2. Effect of Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff essential oil on promastigot form of Leishmania major (in vitro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pirali Kheirabadi Khodadad

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease caused by a protozoan of the genus Leishmania. In this study, the effects of Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff essential oil on the promastigot form of Leishmania major were studied. Methods: In this study, the effects of Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff essential oil on the promastigot form of Leishmania major were assessed by calculating the average number of surviving promastigots after exposure to different concentrations of essential oil, relative to the control Glucantime, at different time intervals. To achieve this, various essential oil concentrations (7.5 μl, 15 μl, 25 μl, 35.25 μl, 50 μl were added to parasites. Different groups in this study were kept in a 26°C incubator under identical conditions. 24, 48 and 72 hours after incubation, living promastigots were counted. Results: The effect of the essential oil of Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff differed from the negative and positive controls and depended on the concentration: higher concentrations (35.25 μl, 50 μl had a stronger effect on promastigots, causing total mortality. Conclusion: This study showed that Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff essential oil had effects on promastigot form of Leishmania major. So it might be possible to use the essential oil of Kelussia odoratissima instead of chemical drugs.

  3. Investigation and Comparison of Leishmania major Promastigote and Amastigote Protein Content by Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis

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    S. Soleimanifard

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available ntroduction & Objective: Leishmania is a protozoan of the trypanosomatidae family. This pro-tozoan has two stages in its life cycle, promastigote form in sand flies and amastigote form in macrophage of mammalian hosts. The purpose of this study was identification and compari-son of proteins of Leishmania amastigote and promastigote stages. Materials & Methods: The present study is a cross sectional study of two forms of Leishmania major. To culture promastigotes , L.major (MRHO/IR/75/ER from previously infected Balb/c mice was transferred to modified N.N.N medium with overlay of liquid BHI and then transferred to RPMI-1640 at 26oc ± 1 for mass production. After isolation and growth, pro-mastigotes were transferred to liquid cell culture medium RPMI-1640 with pH 5.5 and incu-bated at 5% CO2 at 37oc for 72 hours until promastigote to amastigote transformation. Elec-trophoresis was performed with SDS-PAGE method to find and compare the molecular weight of the antigens of two stages. Results: The molecular weights of the bands observed in both forms were as follows: 19, 36, 50, 63, 65, 80, 90, 94, 96, 110- 130 KDa. The proteins in the surface of only promastigote were 22, 28 and 46 KDa and special proteins in the surface of amastigote were 12 and 32 KDa. Conclusion : According to this study Leishmania parasite has stage specific proteins. Various studies have shown that axenic amastigotes and tissue amastigotes are similar in their protein content. Therefore, based on stage specific proteins ,effective drugs and vaccines can be de-signed against leishmaniasis. (Sci J Hamadan Univ Med Sci 2013; 20 (1:1-8

  4. Effects of nitro-heterocyclic derivatives against Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petri e Silva, Simone Carolina Soares; Palace-Berl, Fanny; Tavares, Leoberto Costa; Soares, Sandra Regina Castro; Lindoso, José Angelo Lauletta

    2016-04-01

    Leishmaniasis is an overlooked tropical disease affecting approximately 1 million people in several countries. Clinical manifestation depends on the interaction between Leishmania and the host's immune response. Currently available treatment options for leishmaniasis are limited and induce severe side effects. In this research, we tested nitro-heterocyclic compounds (BSF series) as a new alternative against Leishmania. Its activity was measured in Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes using MTT colorimetric assay. Additionally, we assessed the phosphatidylserine exposure by promastigotes, measured by flow cytometry, as well as nitric oxide production, measured by Griess' method. The nitro-heterocyclic compounds (BSF series) showed activity against L. (L.) infantum promastigotes, inducting the phosphatidylserine exposition by promastigotes, decreasing intracellular amastigotes and increasing oxide nitric production. The selectivity index was more prominent to Leishmania than to macrophages. Compared to amphotericin b, our compounds presented higher IC50, however the selectivity index was more specific to parasite than to amphotericin b. In conclusion, these nitro-heterocyclic compounds showed to be promising as an anti-Leishmania drug, in in vitro studies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Cytotoxicity and Phototoxicity of Chlorophyll a/Hydroxypropyl-γ-cyclodextrin Complex on Leishmania Major Promastigotes

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    Azam Jafari Parizi

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL is a widespread disease that is epidemic in Iran, too. Photodynamic therapy (PDT is an attractive modality to treat cancer and hyper proliferative diseases based on the use of a photosensitizer in the presence of oxygen and proper wavelength of light. In consideration of lesion location, lack of systemic involvement and inefficiency of current treatments, nowadays this modality is purposed for treating Leishmaniasis. In this paper, efficacy of PDT using a natural dye (chlorophyll a on Leishmania major promastigotes is reported. Material and Methods: The experiments was done on Leishmania major parasites (MRHO/IR/75/ER in the presence of Chlorophyll a /Hydroxypropyl-γ-cyclodextrin(chl a/CD complex as a photosensitizer. At first, dye uptake by promastigotes was evaluated via fluorimetric assessments after different incubation periods. Then dye cytotoxicity was evaluated at different concentration after 24 h incubation. Finally PDT experiments were designed with two doses of light and 10 µM of photosensitizer. Considering all possible controls, the percentage of the parasite survival at 24 hours post treatment was assessed by MTS method. All experiments were repeated at least three times. Results: On the basis of the dye uptake data, 24h was considered for incubating of photosensitizer with promastigotes. IC50 of chl a/CD complex was about 42.6 µM. After parasites irradiation by light at 248 j/cm2, more than 50% of cell death was recorded that is significant in comparing with similar groups without dye, without light, and lower dose of light. In these conditions, ED50 of PDT on promastigotes is determined nearly 246 J/cm2. Discussion and Conclusion: Considering low cytotoxicity in darkness and adequate phototoxicity of chl a/CD complex in comparison with other photosensitizers such as AlPhtalocyanine chloride, it can be introduced as a promising candidate for futher use in PDT experiments on amastigotes

  6. Increased transmission potential of Leishmania major/Leishmania infantum hybrids

    OpenAIRE

    Volf, Petr; Benkova, Ivana; Myskova, Jitka; Sadlova, Jovana; Campino, Lenea; Ravel, Christophe

    2007-01-01

    Development of Leishmania infantum/Leishmania major hybrids was studied in two sand fly species. In Phlebotomus papatasi, which supported development of L. major but not L. infantum, the hybrids produced heavy late-stage infections with high numbers of metacyclic promastigotes. In the permissive vector Lutzomyia longipalpis, all Leishmania strains included in this study developed well. Hybrids were found to express L. major lipophosphoglycan, apparently enabling them to survive in P. papatasi...

  7. Effect of BMAP-28 antimicrobial peptides on Leishmania major promastigote and amastigote growth: role of leishmanolysin in parasite survival.

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    Miriam A Lynn

    Full Text Available Protozoan parasites, such as Leishmania, still pose an enormous public health problem in many countries throughout the world. Current measures are outdated and have some associated drug resistance, prompting the search into novel therapies. Several innovative approaches are under investigation, including the utilization of host defence peptides (HDPs as emerging anti-parasitic therapies. HDPs are characterised by their small size, amphipathic nature and cationicity, which induce permeabilization of cell membranes, whilst modulating the immune response of the host. Recently, members of the cathelicidin family of HDPs have demonstrated significant antimicrobial activities against various parasites including Leishmania. The cathelicidin bovine myeloid antimicrobial peptide 28 (BMAP-28 has broad antimicrobial activities and confers protection in animal models of bacterial infection or sepsis. We tested the effectiveness of the use of BMAP-28 and two of its isomers the D-amino acid form (D-BMAP-28 and the retro-inverso form (RI-BMAP-28, as anti-leishmanial agents against the promastigote and amastigote intracellular Leishmania major lifecycle stages.An MTS viability assay was utilized to show the potent antiparasitic activity of BMAP-28 and its protease resistant isomers against L. major promastigotes in vitro. Cell membrane permeability assays, caspase 3/7, Tunel assays and morphologic studies suggested that this was a late stage apoptotic cell death with early osmotic cell lysis caused by the antimicrobial peptides. Furthermore, BMAP-28 and its isomers demonstrated anti-leishmanial activities against intracellular amastigotes within a macrophage infection model.Interestingly, D-BMAP-28 appears to be the most potent antiparasitic of the three isomers against wild type L. major promastigotes and amastigotes. These exciting results suggest that BMAP-28 and its protease resistant isomers have significant therapeutic potential as novel anti-leishmanials.

  8. The Leishmania promastigote surface antigen-2 (PSA-2) is specifically recognised by Th1 cells in humans with naturally acquired immunity to L. major

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kemp, M; Handman, E; Kemp, K

    1998-01-01

    The promastigote surface antigen-2 (PSA-2) is a Leishmania parasite antigen, which can induce Th1-mediated protection against murine leishmaniasis when used as a vaccine. To evaluate PSA-2 as a human vaccine candidate the specific T-cell response to PSA-2 was characterised in individuals immune...... to cutaneous leishmaniasis. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from Sudanese individuals with a past history of self-healing cutaneous leishmaniasis proliferated vigorously in response to PSA-2 isolated from Leishmania major, whereas the antigen did not activate cells from presumably unexposed Danes....... Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from individuals with previous L. major infection had varying proliferative responses to PSA-2 derived from L. donovani promastigotes. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells activated by PSA-2 from L. major produced high amounts of interferon-gamma and tumour necrosis factor...

  9. In vivo and in vitro phagocytosis of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis promastigotes by B-1 cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geraldo, M M; Costa, C R; Barbosa, F M C; Vivanco, B C; Gonzaga, W F K M; Novaes E Brito, R R; Popi, A F; Lopes, J D; Xander, P

    2016-06-01

    Leishmaniasis is caused by Leishmania parasites that infect several cell types. The promastigote stage of Leishmania is internalized by phagocytic cells and transformed into the obligate intracellular amastigote form. B-1 cells are a subpopulation of B cells that are able to differentiate in vitro and in vivo into mononuclear phagocyte-like cells with phagocytic properties. B-1 cells use several receptors for phagocytosis, such as the mannose receptor and third complement receptor. Leishmania binds to the same receptors on macrophages. In this study, we demonstrated that phagocytes derived from B-1 cells (B-1 CDP) were able to internalize promastigotes of L. (L.) amazonensis in vitro. The internalized promastigotes differentiated into amastigotes. Our results showed that the phagocytic index was higher in B-1 CDP compared to peritoneal macrophages and bone marrow-derived macrophages. The in vivo phagocytic ability of B-1 cells was also demonstrated. Parasites were detected inside purified B-1 cells after intraperitoneal infection with L. (L.) amazonensis promastigotes. Intraperitoneal stimulation with the parasites led to an increase in both IL-10 and TNF-α. These results highlight the importance of studying B-1 CDP cells as phagocytic cells that can participate and contribute to immunity to parasites. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Stage-specific adhesion of Leishmania promastigotes to sand fly midguts assessed using an improved comparative binding assay.

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    Raymond Wilson

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available The binding of Leishmania promastigotes to the midgut epithelium is regarded as an essential part of the life-cycle in the sand fly vector, enabling the parasites to persist beyond the initial blood meal phase and establish the infection. However, the precise nature of the promastigote stage(s that mediate binding is not fully understood.To address this issue we have developed an in vitro gut binding assay in which two promastigote populations are labelled with different fluorescent dyes and compete for binding to dissected sand fly midguts. Binding of procyclic, nectomonad, leptomonad and metacyclic promastigotes of Leishmania infantum and L. mexicana to the midguts of blood-fed, female Lutzomyia longipalpis was investigated. The results show that procyclic and metacyclic promastigotes do not bind to the midgut epithelium in significant numbers, whereas nectomonad and leptomonad promastigotes both bind strongly and in similar numbers. The assay was then used to compare the binding of a range of different parasite species (L. infantum, L. mexicana, L. braziliensis, L. major, L. tropica to guts dissected from various sand flies (Lu. longipalpis, Phlebotomus papatasi, P. sergenti. The results of these comparisons were in many cases in line with expectations, the natural parasite binding most effectively to its natural vector, and no examples were found where a parasite was unable to bind to its natural vector. However, there were interesting exceptions: L. major and L. tropica being able to bind to Lu. longipalpis better than L. infantum; L. braziliensis was able to bind to P. papatasi as well as L. major; and significant binding of L. major to P. sergenti and L. tropica to P. papatasi was observed.The results demonstrate that Leishmania gut binding is strictly stage-dependent, is a property of those forms found in the middle phase of development (nectomonad and leptomonad forms, but is absent in the early blood meal and final stages (procyclic

  11. Leishmania promastigotes lack phosphatidylserine but bind annexin V upon permeabilization or miltefosine treatment.

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    Adrien Weingärtner

    Full Text Available The protozoan parasite Leishmania is an intracellular pathogen infecting and replicating inside vertebrate host macrophages. A recent model suggests that promastigote and amastigote forms of the parasite mimic mammalian apoptotic cells by exposing phosphatidylserine (PS at the cell surface to trigger their phagocytic uptake into host macrophages. PS presentation at the cell surface is typically analyzed using fluorescence-labeled annexin V. Here we show that Leishmania promastigotes can be stained by fluorescence-labeled annexin V upon permeabilization or miltefosine treatment. However, combined lipid analysis by thin-layer chromatography, mass spectrometry and (31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR spectroscopy revealed that Leishmania promastigotes lack any detectable amount of PS. Instead, we identified several other phospholipid classes such phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylethanolamine; phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol as candidate lipids enabling annexin V staining.

  12. Phototoxic effects of silicon bis (dimetilaminoetanoxi)-phthalocyanine (SiPc) on the viability of Leishmania major and Leishmania braziliensis promastigotes

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    Guerra Pinto, Juliana; Ferreira-Strixino, Juliana; Mittmann, Josane

    2016-06-01

    American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) is an infectious disease caused by protozoans of the genus Leishmania. The treatment may consist of pentavalent antimonials or pentamidine and amphotericin. However, these treatments are extremely aggressive. Photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) involves the same mechanism of photodynamic therapy which associates a photosensitizer with oxygen and a light source generating a photochemical reaction leading to cell death. The aim of this study was to verify the potential use of silicon bis (dimetilaminoetanoxi)-phthalocyanine (SiPc) compound in photodynamic treatment through evaluation of its phototoxic effect in promastigotes of the genus Leishmania braziliensis and Leishmania major. Treatment with SiPc was able to drastically affect the viability of the parasites as well as affect their growth and morphology, after PACT treatment. The data shown in this study allows us to conclude that SiPc is a promising photosensitizer (PS) since it does not affect parasite growth and viability in the dark. After PACT with this phthalocyanine, over 99% of parasites were killed with the higher concentration and a light dose used. These results suggest that SiPc can be used in future to treat CL, however, further studies are necessary to determine whether the PS are toxic to mononuclear phagocytic cells and epithelial cells which will also be affected by therapy when applied topically.

  13. The proliferation potential of promastigotes of the main Leishmania species of the old world in NNN culture medium prepared using blood of four different mammals.

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    Ladopoulos, Theodoros; Ntais, Pantelis; Tsirigotakis, Nikolaos; Dokianakis, Emmanouil; Antoniou, Maria

    2015-10-01

    The efficacy of the in vitro cultivation of promastigotes of four Leishmania spp. was tested in the biphasic Novy-MacNeal-Nicolle (NNN) medium prepared using blood from different animals (horse, donkey, goat and sheep). The aim was to test which NNN preparation gave the best yield in the shortest time for different parasite species, in order to obtain a large crop of promastigotes for experimental work and for antigen preparation. Promastigotes of Leishmania infantum, Leishmania donovani, Leishmania tropica and Leishmania major, the four main parasite species occurring in the old world, were defrosted from -80 °C and placed, at equal numbers, in the 4 different NNN preparations. At the end of the 7th day, the NNN medium using horse blood produced the greatest number of promastigotes for all Leishmania spp. tested, whilst goat blood proved the poorest medium, providing culture results only for L. infantum. This finding may be explained by the fact that Leishmania is a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) auxotroph and horse erythrocytes support NAD-dependent microorganisms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Comparative real-time kinetic analysis of human complement killing of Leishmania infantum promastigotes derived from axenic culture or from Phlebotomus perniciosus.

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    Moreno, Inmaculada; Molina, Ricardo; Toraño, Alfredo; Laurin, Edurne; García, Esther; Domínguez, Mercedes

    2007-01-01

    Although Leishmania metacyclic promastigotes are generally considered resistant to human complement, studies of in vitro-cultured axenic stationary promastigotes using serum concentrations that approximate physiological plasma conditions indicate complement sensitivity. Natural Leishmania infection is caused by sand fly-inoculated promastigotes, whose complement resistance has not been analyzed systematically. We compared Leishmania susceptibility to human complement in L. infantum promastigotes derived from in vitro cultures and from sand flies. Phlebotomus perniciosus sand flies were fed with axenic promastigotes, L. infantum-infected U-937 cells, or spleen cells from L. infantum-infected hamsters. On selected days post-feeding, flies were dissected and promastigotes isolated; in addition, axenic promastigotes were obtained from culture at equivalent days of growth. In near-physiological serum concentration and temperature conditions, measurement of real-time kinetics of propidium iodide uptake showed that approximately 90% of axenic- and sand fly-derived promastigotes were rapidly killed by complement. We found no substantial differences between promastigotes from axenic culture, those isolated from flies on different post-feeding days, or those generated in flies fed with distinct inocula. The results indicate that Leishmania susceptibility to human complement is independent of promastigote developmental stage in the sand fly mid-gut and in axenic culture.

  15. Behavior of Leishmania major metacyclic promastigotes during the course of infection and immune response development in resistant versus susceptible hosts Comportamento de promastigoteas metacíclicos de Leishmania major durante o curso da infecção e da resposta imune em hospedeiros resistentes versus suscetíveis

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    Regina Coeli Cunha Dórea

    2003-11-01

    Full Text Available Little is known on the epitopes derived from metacyclic promastigotes of Leishmania that are important on the regulation or destruction of the parasite, as targets of immune attack in the vertebrate host. In this study we investigated an alternative method to obtain metacyclic promasigotes of Leishmania major, as evaluated by the course of infection and delayed-type hipersensitivity (DTH in resistant versus susceptible inbred mice. Non-infective (procyclic promastigotes of L. major recently transformed from tissue amastigotes were attached to a negatively charged glass-wool column, whereas metacyclic promastigotes were not bound to columns and could be easily recovered. Optimal chromatography conditions were validated through statistical analyses. Parasite average yield from glass wool columns and promastigote viability were estimated by light microscopy. Metacyclic promastigotes yielded 43.5% to 57.5%. Different patterns of cutaneous lesions were obtained in BALB/c (susceptible and C57BL/6 (resistant mice, the former with highly infective lesions induced by metacyclic promastigotes. DTH responses proved to be higher in groups of C57BL/6 mice which were infected with metacyclic promastigotes. These results indicate that the new method could be integrated with the investigation of metacyclogenesis of Leishmania in vivo.Pouco se conhece sobre os epítopos derivados de promastigotas metacíclicos de Leishmania que são importantes para a regulação ou destruição do parasita, como alvos de ação imunológica no hospedeiro vertebrado. Neste estudo, nós investigamos um método alternativo para obter promastigotas metacíclicos de Leishmania major, pela avaliação do curso da infecção e reação de hipersensibilidade do tipo retardado (HTR em hospedeiros resistentes e susceptíveis. Promastigotas não-infectantes (procíclicos de L. major, recentemente isolados de amastigotas, foram selecionados pela adesão a colunas de lã de vidro

  16. Canine leishmaniosis caused by Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica: comparative findings and serology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baneth, Gad; Yasur-Landau, Daniel; Gilad, Matan; Nachum-Biala, Yaarit

    2017-03-13

    Infection and clinical disease associated with Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica, two common agents of human cutaneous leishmaniosis, have rarely been reported in dogs. This study describes dogs infected with these Leishmania spp. prevalent in the Middle East and North Africa, and compares the serological response of dogs infected with Leishmania infantum, L. major or L. tropica to whole promastigote antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of each species and to rK39 dipstick. Leishmania major infection in a 5-month-old male dog was associated with alopecic and ulcerative periocular and limb skin lesions which responded to allopurinol treatment. Infection was detected by skin and blood polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and confirmed by DNA sequencing but the dog was seronegative. Leishmania tropica infection was detected in a 3-month-old female dog co-infected with Babesia vogeli and Anaplasma platys and with no skin lesions. PCR and DNA sequencing of the blood and parasite culture were positive for L. tropica. Sera from 11 dogs infected with L. infantum, L. major or L. tropica were reactive with all three Leishmania spp. antigens except for sera from a dog with L. major infection. No significant differences were found between reactivity of dog sera to the antigen of the infecting species, or to the other Leishmania spp. antigens. Sera from dogs infected with L. infantum and L. tropica were positive with the rK39 antigen kit, while dogs with L. major infection were seronegative. Skin lesions in L. major infected dogs from this study and previous reports (n = 2) were ulcerative and located on the muzzle, feet and foot pads and not associated with generalized lymphadenomegaly and splenomegaly. In previous L. tropica infections, skin lesions were proliferative mucocutaneous in young dogs (n = 2), or associated with widespread dermatitis, lymphadenomegaly and splenomegaly in older dogs with similarity to L. infantum infection (n = 2). This

  17. Involvement of Leishmania donovani major surface glycoprotein ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    The major surface glycoprotein gp63 of the kinetoplastid protozoal parasite Leishmania is implicated as a ligand mediating uptake of the parasite into, and survival within, the host macrophage. By expressing gp63 antisense RNA from an episomal vector in L. donovani promastigotes, gp63-deficient transfectants were ...

  18. Identification of Leishmania spp. promastigotes in the intestines, ovaries, and salivary glands of Rhipicephalus sanguineus actively infesting dogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viol, Milena Araúz; Guerrero, Felix D; de Oliveira, Bruno César Miranda; de Aquino, Monally Conceição Costa; Loiola, Saulo Hudson; de Melo, Guilherme Dias; de Souza Gomes, Aparecida Helena; Kanamura, Cristina Takami; Garcia, Marcos Valério; Andreotti, Renato; de Lima, Valéria Marçal Félix; Bresciani, Katia Denise Saraiva

    2016-09-01

    Sand flies are recognized as the major vector of canine visceral leishmaniasis. However, in some areas of Brazil where sand flies do not occur, this disease is found in humans and dogs. There has been speculation that ticks might play a role in transmission of canine visceral leishmaniasis and the DNA of Leishmania spp. has been reported in whole ticks. We investigated the presence of Leishmania spp. promastigotes in the intestines, ovaries, and salivary glands of Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks collected from tick-infested dogs in two cities of Brazil. We used 66 dogs that tested positive and 33 that tested negative for Leishmania spp. according to direct cytological examination assays. Ten ticks were collected from each dog and dissected to collect the intestines, ovaries, and salivary glands for immunohistochemistry (IHC) and diagnostic real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). IHC results showed Leishmania spp. in 98, 14, and 8 % of the intestines, ovaries, and salivary glands, respectively. Real-time PCR showed that 89, 41, and 33 % of the tick intestine, ovary, and salivary glands, respectively, were positive for Leishmania spp. The verification of promastigotes of Leishmania spp. by two independent techniques in ticks collected from these urban region dogs showed that there is need for clarification of the role of ticks in the transmission of canine visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil.

  19. In vitro activity of total aqueous ethanol leaf extracts of Ricinus communis on Leishmania major promastigotes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okech, B.G.A.; Irungu, L.W.; Anjili, C.O.; Munyua, J.K.; Njagi, E.N.M.; Rukungu, G.

    2006-01-01

    The activity of aqueous and ethanol extracts of Ricinus communis was tested on Leishmania promastigotes in cell-free culture media. Serial dilutions of the extracts ranging from 500μg/ml, 250 μg/ml and 62.5μg/ml were prepared in triplicate using Schneiders Drosophila medium supplemented with 20% fetal bovine serum in the absence of antibiotics and the growth of approximately 1x 10 (power 6) parasites monitored every two days for a period of 8 days. Parasite density was estimated every two days using the Neuabeur counting chamber. At the end of the 8-day period cell morphology was observed and photographed. Significant growth inihibitory effect was observed on the promastigotes by the aqueous and ethanol extracts especially at high concentrations. However, there was an enhanced growth effect initially thereafter leading to to a rapid decline in promastigote cell population. Flagellar motility was also greatly affected at high concentration and it appeared that there was a linear relationship between flagellar motilities and the level of concentrations. Parasite morphology was affected severely. Most of the cultures observed appeared to have abnormal round morphology. Rosseting was also evident in the extract treated cultures. The aqueous leaf extract interfered with parasite morphology but this was dose dependent. The importance of R. communis plant as a potential source for chemotypes with antileishmanial activity is discussed. (author)

  20. Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes in 3D Collagen I culture: an in vitro physiological environment for the study of extracellular matrix and host cell interactions

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    Debora B. Petropolis

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Leishmania amazonensis is the causative agent of American cutaneous leishmaniasis, an important neglected tropical disease. Once Leishmania amazonensis is inoculated into the human host, promastigotes are exposed to the extracellular matrix (ECM of the dermis. However, little is known about the interaction between the ECM and Leishmania promastigotes. In this study we established L. amazonensis promastigote culture in a three-dimensional (3D environment mainly composed of Collagen I (COL I. This 3D culture recreates in vitro some aspects of the human host infection site, enabling the study of the interaction mechanisms of L. amazonensis with the host ECM. Promastigotes exhibited “freeze and run” migration in the 3D COL I matrix, which is completely different from the conventional in vitro swimming mode of migration. Moreover, L. amazonensis promastigotes were able to invade, migrate inside, and remodel the 3D COL I matrix. Promastigote trans-matrix invasion and the freeze and run migration mode were also observed when macrophages were present in the matrix. At least two classes of proteases, metallo- and cysteine proteases, are involved in the 3D COL I matrix degradation caused by Leishmania. Treatment with a mixture of protease inhibitors significantly reduced promastigote invasion and migration through this matrix. Together our results demonstrate that L. amazonensis promastigotes release proteases and actively remodel their 3D environment, facilitating their migration. This raises the possibility that promastigotes actively interact with their 3D environment during the search for their cellular “home”—macrophages. Supporting this hypothesis, promastigotes migrated faster than macrophages in a novel 3D co-culture model.

  1. Activity of the Lupane isolated from Combretum leprosum against Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Teles, Carolina B.G.; Silva-Jardim, Izaltina; Silva, Alexandre de A.E.; Zuliani, Juliana P.; Stabeli, Rodrigo G., E-mail: izaltina.jardim@pq.cnpq.b [Instituto de Pesquisas em Patologias Tropicais de Rondonia (IPEPATRO), Porto Velho, RO (Brazil); Moreira, Leandro S.; Facundo, Valdir A. [Universidade Federal de Rondonia, Porto Velho, RO (Brazil)

    2011-07-01

    This paper describes the activity of the ethanolic extract (EE), obtained from the fruits of Combretum leprosum, the triterpene 3{beta}, 6{beta}, 16{beta}-trihydroxylup-20(29)-ene (1) and its synthetic derivatives 1a-1d on Leishmania Amazonensis promastigotes. The EE displayed leishmanicidal activity and the IC{sub 50} was 24.8 {mu}g mL{sup -1}. However, the triterpene 3{beta}, 6{beta}, 16{beta}-trihydroxylup-20(29)-ene (1), at a concentration of 5.0 {mu}g mL{sup -1}, showed a potent inhibitory activity on promastigotes proliferation (IC{sub 50} = 3.3 {mu}g mL{sup -1}). Among the synthetic derivatives, only (1b) and (1d) were active against promastigotes (IC{sub 50} = 3.48 {mu}g mL{sup -1} and 5.8 {mu}g mL{sup -1}, respectively). Moreover, the synthetic derivative 1a showed no activity on promastigotes of L. Amazonensis. EE, (1) and the synthetic derivatives 1a-1d showed no cytotoxic effect on mice peritoneal macrophages. These results provide evidence that the ethanolic extract and the lupane isolated from C. leprosum was active against promastigotes of L. amazonensis, and may be used as a tool in the studies of new antileishmanial drugs. (author)

  2. The activity of azithromycin against Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis and Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis in the golden hamster model

    OpenAIRE

    Sinagra,Ángel; Luna,Concepción; Abraham,David; Iannella,Maria del Carmen; Riarte,Adelina; Krolewiecki,Alejandro J.

    2007-01-01

    New therapeutic alternatives against leishmaniasis remain a priority. The activity of azithromycin against Leishmania (Leishmania) major has been previously demonstrated. Different responses among species of Leishmania make species-specific drug screening necessary. The activity of azithromycin against Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis and Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis was evaluated in golden hamsters infected through footpad injections of metacyclic promastigotes, and compared with unt...

  3. Influence of the Microenvironment in the Transcriptome of Leishmania infantum Promastigotes: Sand Fly versus Culture.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro J Alcolea

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease caused by Leishmania infantum in the Mediterranean Basin, where domestic dogs and wild canids are the main reservoirs. The promastigote stage replicates and develops within the gut of blood-sucking phlebotomine sand flies. Mature promastigotes are injected in the dermis of the mammalian host and differentiate into the amastigote stage within parasitophorous vacuoles of phagocytic cells. The major vector of L. infantum in Spain is Phlebotomus perniciosus. Promastigotes are routinely axenized and cultured to mimic in vitro the conditions inside the insect gut, which allows for most molecular, cellular, immunological and therapeutical studies otherwise inviable. Culture passages are known to decrease infectivity, which is restored by passage through laboratory animals. The most appropriate source of promastigotes is the gut of the vector host but isolation of the parasite is technically challenging. In fact, this option is not viable unless small samples are sufficient for downstream applications like promastigote cultures and nucleic acid amplification. In this study, in vitro infectivity and differential gene expression have been studied in cultured promastigotes at the stationary phase and in promastigotes isolated from the stomodeal valve of the sand fly P. perniciosus. About 20 ng RNA per sample could be isolated. Each sample contained L. infantum promastigotes from 20 sand flies. RNA was successfully amplified and processed for shotgun genome microarray hybridization analysis. Most differentially regulated genes are involved in regulation of gene expression, intracellular signaling, amino acid metabolism and biosynthesis of surface molecules. Interestingly, meta-analysis by hierarchical clustering supports that up-regulation of 22.4% of the differentially regulated genes is specifically enhanced by the microenvironment (i.e. sand fly gut or culture. The correlation between cultured and

  4. A atividade da azitromicina contra a Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis e a Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis no modelo golden hamster

    OpenAIRE

    Sinagra, Ángel; Luna, Concepción; Abraham, David; Iannella, Maria del Carmen; Riarte, Adelina; Krolewiecki, Alejandro J.

    2007-01-01

    New therapeutic alternatives against leishmaniasis remain a priority. The activity of azithromycin against Leishmania (Leishmania) major has been previously demonstrated. Different responses among species of Leishmania make species-specific drug screening necessary. The activity of azithromycin against Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis and Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis was evaluated in golden hamsters infected through footpad injections of metacyclic promastigotes, and compared with unt...

  5. Ultrastructural Analysis of Leishmania infantum chagasi Promastigotes Forms Treated In Vitro with Usnic Acid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João S. B. da Luz

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Leishmaniasis is considered by the World Health Organization as one of the infectious parasitic diseases endemic of great relevance and a global public health problem. Pentavalent antimonials used for treatment of this disease are limited and new phytochemicals emerge as an alternative to existing treatments, due to the low toxicity and cost reduction. Usnic acid is uniquely found in lichens and is especially abundant in genera such as Alectoria, Cladonia, Evernia, Lecanora, Ramalina, and Usnea. Usnic acid has been shown to exhibit antiviral, antiprotozoal, antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antileishmanial activity of usnic acid on Leishmania infantum chagasi promastigotes and the occurrence of drug-induced ultrastructural damage in the parasite. Usnic acid was effective against the promastigote forms (IC50 = 18.30 ± 2.00 µg/mL. Structural and ultrastructural aspects of parasite were analyzed. Morphological alterations were observed as blebs in cell membrane and shapes given off, increasing the number of cytoplasmic vacuoles, and cellular and mitochondrial swelling, with loss of cell polarity. We concluded that the usnic acid presented antileishmanial activity against promastigote forms of Leishmania infantum chagasi and structural and ultrastructural analysis reinforces its cytotoxicity. Further, in vitro studies are warranted to further evaluate this potential.

  6. Kinetoplastid membrane protein-11 is present in promastigotes and amastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis and its surface expression increases during metacyclogenesis

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    Denise CS Matos

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Kinetoplastid membrane protein-11 (KMP-11, a protein present in all kinetoplastid protozoa, is considered a potential candidate for a leishmaniasis vaccine. A suitable leishmaniasis vaccine candidate molecule must be expressed in amastigotes, the infective stage for mammals. However, the expression of KMP-11 in Leishmania amastigotes has been a subject of controversy. We evaluated the expression of this molecule in logarithmic and stationary growth phase promastigotes, as well as in amastigotes, of Leishmania amazonensis by immunoblotting, flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry, using a monoclonal antibody against KMP-11. We found that KMP-11 is present in promastigotes and amastigotes. In both stages, the protein was found in association with membrane structures (at the cell surface, flagellar pocket and intracellular vesicles. More importantly, its surface expression is higher in amastigotes than in promastigotes and increases during metacyclogenesis. The increased expression of KMP-11 in metacyclic promastigotes, and especially in amastigotes, indicates a role for this molecule in the parasite relationship with the mammalian host. The presence of this molecule in amastigotes is consistent with the previously demonstrated immunoprotective capacity of vaccine prototypes based on the KMP-11-coding gene and the presence of humoral and cellular immune responses to KMP-11 in Leishmania-infected humans and animals.

  7. Intracellular pH homeostasis in Leishmania donovani amastigotes and promastigotes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glaser, T.A.; Baatz, J.E.; Kreishman, G.P.; Mukkada, A.J.

    1988-01-01

    Intracellular pH and pH gradients of Leishmania donovani amastigotes and promastigotes were determined over a broad range of extracellular pH values. Intracellular pH was determined by 31 P NMR and by equilibrium distribution studies with 5,5-dimethyloxazolidine-2,4-dione or methylamine. Promastigotes maintain intracellular pH values close to neutral between extracellular pH values of 5.0 and 7.4. Amastigote intracellular pH is maintained close to neutral at external pH values as low as 4.0. Both life stages maintain a positive pH gradient to an extracellular pH of 7.4, which is important for active transport of substrates. Treatment with ionophores, such as nigericin and carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone and the ATPase inhibitor dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, reduced pH gradients in both stages. Maintenance of intracellular pH in the physiologic range is especially relevant for the survival of the amastigote in its acidic in vivo environment

  8. Detection of amastigote-like forms in the valve of Phlebotomus papatasi infected with Leishmania major

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nestor Añez

    2003-06-01

    Full Text Available A massive and homogeneous amount of amastigote-like forms was detected in the stomodeal valve (SV and the thoracic mid-gut (TMG of Leishmania major-infected Phlebotomus papatasi, which received a second blood meal 13 to 21 days post-infection on healthy anaesthetized hamsters. After re-feeding, the infected sand flies were dissected out to examine the morphology of the parasite in SV, TMG and the abdominal mid-gut (AMG. Different promastigote forms were seen in the infected flies. Among these included typical promastigotes (nectomonads and haptomonads, paramastigotes, metacyclic promastigotes and, in some samples, the here-reported amastigote-like forms. The Leishmania amastigote-like forms were detected in the SV of sand flies with 14, 18 and 21 days of infection as well as in the TMG at 13 and 18 days post-infection. However, the amastigote-like forms were not detected in the AMG. Factors such as the acidic pH predominating the TMG and the SV, as well as the temperature of the ingested blood, among others, are suggested as contributing to the transformation of the typical promastigotes into the amastigote-like forms. The significance of this finding is discussed and the possible biological advantage for transmission of Leishmania is considered.

  9. Arginase activity of Leishmania isolated from patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badirzadeh, A; Taheri, T; Abedi-Astaneh, F; Taslimi, Y; Abdossamadi, Z; Montakhab-Yeganeh, H; Aghashahi, M; Niyyati, M; Rafati, S

    2017-09-01

    Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is one of the most important vector-borne parasitic diseases, highly endemic in Iran, and its prevalence is increasing all over the country. Arginase (ARG) activity in isolated Leishmania parasites from CL patients is yet to be explored. This study aimed to compare the ARG activity of isolated Leishmania promastigotes from CL patients with a standard strain of Leishmania major and its influences on the disease pathogenesis. We recruited 16 confirmed CL patients from Qom Province, in central Iran; after detection of Leishmania species using PCR-RFLP, we assessed the levels of ARG in the isolated promastigotes and determined the parasites' growth rate. Only L. major was identified from CL patients. The level of ARG activity in the isolated Leishmania promastigotes from CL patients was significantly higher than that obtained from the standard strain of L. major. No significant correlations between ARG activity and lesion size, number or duration were observed; in contrast, a significant negative correlation was seen between ARG level and Leishmania' growth rate. The obtained results suggest that increased ARG expression and activity in the isolated Leishmania promastigotes might contribute to the higher parasite infectivity and play a major role in the pathogenicity of the CL. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Evaluación del efecto del ácido nalidíxico, ampicilina, kanamicina, penicilina G y polimixina B en los cultivos de promastigotes de leishmania

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sofía Duque Beltrán

    1992-06-01

    Full Text Available Se evaluó el efecto de diferentes concentraciones de ácido nalidíxico, ampicilina, kanarnicina, penicilina G y polimixina B, sobre la población de promastigotes de Leishmania braziliensis braziliensis , Leishmania donovani chagasi y Leishmania mexicana amazonensis in vitro. La penicilina G y la ampicilina se pueden utilizar hasta concentraciones de 1000 ug/ml y 500 ug/ml respectivamente en cultivo de promastigotes de cualquier cepa de Leishmania sin que éstos se afecten. La polimixina B disminuye la población de prosmastigotes por lo cual es preferible no usarse en cultivos de Leishmania. El ácido nalidíxico y kanamicina pueden ser utilizados in vitro pero teniéndose en cuenta la especie de Leishmania y la concentración de anfimicrobiano recomendado para la misma.

  11. A unique, highly conserved secretory invertase is differentially expressed by promastigote developmental forms of all species of the human pathogen, Leishmania

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyda, Todd A.; Joshi, Manju B.; Andersen, John F.; Kelada, Andrew Y.; Owings, Joshua P.; Bates, Paul A.; Dwyer, Dennis M.

    2015-01-01

    Leishmania are protozoan pathogens of humans that exist as extracellular promastigotes in the gut of their sand fly vectors and as obligate intracellular amastigotes within phagolysosomes of infected macrophages. Between infectious blood meal feeds, sand flies take plant juice meals that contain sucrose and store these sugars in their crop. Such sugars are regurgitated into the sand fly anterior midgut where they impact the developing promastigote parasite population. In this report we showed that promastigotes of all Leishmania species secreted an invertase/sucrase enzyme during their growth in vitro. In contrast, neither L. donovani nor L. mexicana amastigotes possessed any detectable invertase activity. Importantly, no released/secreted invertase activity was detected in culture supernatants from either Trypanosoma brucei or Trypanosoma cruzi. Using HPLC, the L. donovani secretory invertase was isolated and subjected to amino acid sequencing. Subsequently, we used a molecular approach to identify the LdINV and LmexINV genes encoding the ~72 kDa invertases produced by these organisms. Interestingly, we identified high fidelity LdINV-like homologs in the genomes of all Leishmania sp. but none were present in either T. brucei or T. cruzi. Northern blot and RT-PCR analyses showed that these genes were developmentally/differentially expressed in promastigotes but not amastigotes of these parasites. Homologous transfection studies demonstrated that these genes in fact encoded the functional secretory invertases produced by these parasites. Cumulatively, our results suggest that these secretory enzymes play critical roles in the survival/growth/development and transmission of all Leishmania parasites within their sand fly vector hosts. PMID:25763714

  12. The Transcriptome of Leishmania major Developmental Stages in Their Natural Sand Fly Vector.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inbar, Ehud; Hughitt, V Keith; Dillon, Laura A L; Ghosh, Kashinath; El-Sayed, Najib M; Sacks, David L

    2017-04-04

    The life cycle of the Leishmania parasite in the sand fly vector involves differentiation into several distinctive forms, each thought to represent an adaptation to specific microenvironments in the midgut of the fly. Based on transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) results, we describe the first high-resolution analysis of the transcriptome dynamics of four distinct stages of Leishmania major as they develop in a natural vector, Phlebotomus duboscqi The early transformation from tissue amastigotes to procyclic promastigotes in the blood-fed midgut was accompanied by the greatest number of differentially expressed genes, including the downregulation of amastins, and upregulation of multiple cell surface proteins, sugar and amino acid transporters, and genes related to glucose metabolism and cell cycle progression. The global changes accompanying post-blood meal differentiation of procyclic promastigotes to the nectomonad and metacyclic stages were less extensive, though each displayed a unique signature. The transcriptome of nectomonads, which has not been studied previously, revealed changes consistent with cell cycle arrest and the upregulation of genes associated with starvation and stress, including autophagic pathways of protein recycling. Maturation to the infective, metacyclic stage was accompanied by changes suggesting preadaptation to the intracellular environment of the mammalian host, demonstrated by the amastigote-like profiles of surface proteins and metabolism-related genes. Finally, a direct comparison between sand fly-derived and culture-derived metacyclics revealed a reassuring similarity between the two forms, with the in vivo forms distinguished mainly by a stronger upregulation of transcripts associated with nutrient stress. IMPORTANCE The life cycle of Leishmania parasites in the sand fly vector includes their growth and development as morphologically distinct forms of extracellular promastigotes found within the different microenvironments of the

  13. Subcellular localization of an intracellular serine protease of 68 kDa in Leishmania (Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Andrés Morgado-Díaz

    2005-07-01

    Full Text Available Here we report the subcellular localization of an intracellular serine protease of 68 kDa in axenic promastigotes of Leishmania (Leishmania amazonensis, using subcellular fractionation, enzymatic assays, immunoblotting, and immunocytochemistry. All fractions were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy and the serine protease activity was measured during the cell fractionation procedure using a-N-r-tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester (L-TAME as substrate, phenylmethylsulphone fluoride (PMSF and L-1-tosylamino-2-phenylethylchloromethylketone (TPCK as specific inhibitors. The enzymatic activity was detected mainly in a membranous vesicular fraction (6.5-fold enrichment relative to the whole homogenate, but also in a crude plasma membrane fraction (2.0-fold. Analysis by SDS-PAGE gelatin under reducing conditions demonstrated that the major proteolytic activity was found in a 68 kDa protein in all fractions studied. A protein with identical molecular weight was also recognized in immunoblots by a polyclonal antibody against serine protease (anti-SP, with higher immunoreactivity in the vesicular fraction. Electron microscopic immunolocalization using the same polyclonal antibody showed the enzyme present at the cell surface, as well as in cytoplasmic membranous compartments of the parasite. Our findings indicate that the internal location of this serine protease in L. amazonensis is mainly restricted to the membranes of intracellular compartments resembling endocytic/exocytic elements.

  14. Characterization of immune response to killed leishmania major promastigotes plus BCG vaccine in Sudanese volunteers: a double-blind placebo controlled study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sati, Iman Nasr Eldin

    1996-12-01

    This work was examined whether intradermal immunization of healthy adult Sudanese volunteers with killed leishmania major (KLM) promastigotes plus BCG would induce antigen-specific T cell responses. Only healthy Sudanese volunteers with negative reactivity to leishmania skin test and with ≤20 mm induration of reactivity to purified protein derivative (PPD) were included in the trial. Group (A) (n=3): received a single dose (0.1ml) at a concentration of 10 mg protein of a whole cell component of KLM promastigotes/ml BCG, group (B) (n=12): received as a single dose of viable attenuated BCG alone (0.1 ml) at a concentration of 1 mg protein/ml diluent, group (C) (n=11): received the vaccine diluent only (Placebo) (o.1 ml). Study subjects were tested for their immunological and clinical responses before intervention, . Following vaccination 65% of group (A) subjects converted in their reactivity to leishmanin skin testing,non of the BCG vaccinated subjects converted in leishmanin skin test and only one subject of group (C) became leishmanin positive. Levels of Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin-5 (IL-5) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were measured by a double sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A vaccine was considered as a positive responder in terms of cytokine production when the level of the produced cytokine was equal to the 80th percentile of the levels produced by the volunteers in the placebo group. 92% of the group vaccinated with KLM=BCG had circulating T cells. No significant of IL-5 or Il-10 was reported in any of the volunteers in the three group. Levels of anti l eishmania specific IgG were measured by ELISA in optical densities. Volunteers with mean antibody titre above the cut-off point (mean=3X standard deviation) were considered to have positive scores. Accordingly after vaccination 7.69% one volunteers in group (A) had a positive antibody response corresponding to 0% in the other two groups. No serious side effects were reported

  15. Gluconeogenesis in Leishmania mexicana

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez-Contreras, Dayana; Hamilton, Nicklas

    2014-01-01

    Gluconeogenesis is an active pathway in Leishmania amastigotes and is essential for their survival within the mammalian cells. However, our knowledge about this pathway in trypanosomatids is very limited. We investigated the role of glycerol kinase (GK), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), and pyruvate phosphate dikinase (PPDK) in gluconeogenesis by generating the respective Leishmania mexicana Δgk, Δpepck, and Δppdk null mutants. Our results demonstrated that indeed GK, PEPCK, and PPDK are key players in the gluconeogenesis pathway in Leishmania, although stage-specific differences in their contribution to this pathway were found. GK participates in the entry of glycerol in promastigotes and amastigotes; PEPCK participates in the entry of aspartate in promastigotes, and PPDK is involved in the entry of alanine in amastigotes. Furthermore, the majority of alanine enters into the pathway via decarboxylation of pyruvate in promastigotes, whereas pathway redundancy is suggested for the entry of aspartate in amastigotes. Interestingly, we also found that l-lactate, an abundant glucogenic precursor in mammals, was used by Leishmania amastigotes to synthesize mannogen, entering the pathway through PPDK. On the basis of these new results, we propose a revision in the current model of gluconeogenesis in Leishmania, emphasizing the differences between amastigotes and promastigotes. This work underlines the importance of studying the trypanosomatid intracellular life cycle stages to gain a better understanding of the pathologies caused in humans. PMID:25288791

  16. Deprivation of L-Arginine Induces Oxidative Stress Mediated Apoptosis in Leishmania donovani Promastigotes: Contribution of the Polyamine Pathway

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mandal, Abhishek; Das, Sushmita; Roy, Saptarshi; Ghosh, Ayan Kumar; Sardar, Abul Hasan; Verma, Sudha; Saini, Savita; Singh, Ruby; Abhishek, Kumar; Kumar, Ajay; Mandal, Chitra; Das, Pradeep

    2016-01-01

    The growth and survival of intracellular parasites depends on the availability of extracellular nutrients. Deprivation of nutrients viz glucose or amino acid alters redox balance in mammalian cells as well as some lower organisms. To further understand the relationship, the mechanistic role of L-arginine in regulation of redox mediated survival of Leishmania donovani promastigotes was investigated. L-arginine deprivation from the culture medium was found to inhibit cell growth, reduce proliferation and increase L-arginine uptake. Relative expression of enzymes, involved in L-arginine metabolism, which leads to polyamine and trypanothione biosynthesis, were downregulated causing decreased production of polyamines in L-arginine deprived parasites and cell death. The resultant increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), due to L-arginine deprivation, correlated with increased NADP+/NADPH ratio, decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) level, increased lipid peroxidation and reduced thiol content. A deficiency of L-arginine triggered phosphatidyl serine externalization, a change in mitochondrial membrane potential, release of intracellular calcium and cytochrome-c. This finally led to DNA damage in Leishmania promastigotes. In summary, the growth and survival of Leishmania depends on the availability of extracellular L-arginine. In its absence the parasite undergoes ROS mediated, caspase-independent apoptosis-like cell death. Therefore, L-arginine metabolism pathway could be a probable target for controlling the growth of Leishmania parasites and disease pathogenesis. PMID:26808657

  17. Physalis angulata induces death of promastigotes and amastigotes of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis via the generation of reactive oxygen species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Da Silva, B J M; Da Silva, R R P; Rodrigues, A P D; Farias, L H S; Do Nascimento, J L M; Silva, E O

    2016-03-01

    Leishmaniasis are a neglected group of emerging diseases that have been found in 98 countries and are caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania. The therapy for leishmaniasis causes several side effects and leads to drug-resistant strains. Natural products from plants have exhibited activities against Leishmania in various experimental models. Physalis angulata is a widely used plant in popular medicine, and in the literature it has well-documented leishmanicidal activity. However, its mechanism of action is still unknown. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the mechanism driving the leishmanicidal activity of an aqueous extract of P. angulata root (AEPa). AEPa was effective against both promastigotes and intracellular amastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis. This effect was mediated by an increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS), but not of nitric oxide (NO). The increased production of ROS induces cell death by phenotypes seems by apoptosis cell death in Leishmania, but not autophagy or necrosis. In addition, morphological analysis of macrophages showed that AEPa induced a high number of cytoplasmic projections, increased the volume of cytoplasm and number of vacuoles, caused cytoskeleton alterations and resulted in high spreading ability. AEPa also promoted superoxide anion (O2(-)) production in both uninfected macrophages and those infected with Leishmania. Therefore, these results revealed that AEPa causes cell death by phenotypes seems by apoptosis cell death in L. amazonensis and modulates macrophage activation through morphofunctional alterations and O2(-) generation to induce Leishmania death. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Th1-like human T-cell clones recognizing Leishmania gp63 inhibit Leishmania major in human macrophages

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kemp, M; Hey, A S; Bendtzen, K

    1994-01-01

    The major surface protease of Leishmania major, gp63, has been suggested as a vaccine candidate for cutaneous leishmaniasis. In this study gp63 was purified from L. major promastigotes. A panel of human T-cell clones recognizing this protein were generated from individuals who had previously had...... resembling Th1 cells. Autologous mononuclear cells and Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B cell lines were equally efficient in presenting the antigen to the T cells. The gp63 reactive T cells induced resistance to infection in cultured human macrophages by L. major. The data confirm that human CD4+ T cells...... recognizing gp63 can take part in the host defence against L. major infections....

  19. Inhibition of fumarate reductase in Leishmania major and L. donovani by chalcones

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chen, M; Zhai, L; Christensen, S B

    2001-01-01

    Our previous studies have shown that chalcones exhibit potent antileishmanial and antimalarial activities in vitro and in vivo. Preliminary studies showed that these compounds destroyed the ultrastructure of Leishmania parasite mitochondria and inhibited the respiration and the activity...... of mitochondrial dehydrogenases of Leishmania parasites. The present study was designed to further investigate the mechanism of action of chalcones, focusing on the parasite respiratory chain. The data show that licochalcone A inhibited the activity of fumarate reductase (FRD) in the permeabilized Leishmania major...... promastigote and in the parasite mitochondria, and it also inhibited solubilized FRD and a purified FRD from L. donovani. Two other chalcones, 2,4-dimethoxy-4'-allyloxychalcone (24m4ac) and 2,4-dimethoxy-4'-butoxychalcone (24mbc), also exhibited inhibitory effects on the activity of solubilized FRD in L. major...

  20. Metacyclic promastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis selection using gamma irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bonetti, Franco C.; Nascimento, Nanci do [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Centro de Biologia Molecular]. E-mail: fbonetti@usp.br; Andrade Junior, Heitor Franco de [Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Lab. de Protozoologia

    2005-07-01

    Leishmania spp. causes a spectrum of human diseases, ranging from self-healing skin lesions to severe and lethal visceral disease. In previous work we demonstrated that the protein and nucleic acid metabolism and oxidative respiration were severely affected by irradiation, in a dose response way, but a small but representative fractions are relatively radio resistant, surviving after 800 Gy of {sup 60}Co irradiation. The best explanation could be a selection of metacyclic promastigotes. In these forms, the G0 state allows the adequate correction of DNA repair after the irradiation insult. In this work, we are looking for the ideal radiation dose to select the higher proportion of metacyclic forms of L.. (L.) amazonensis in culture. Parasites were grown in RPMI 1640 medium, plus 20% fetal calf serum, than they were irradiated with different doses ranging between 25 and 400 Gy. Parasites irradiated at 400 Gy infected, proportionally, more cells than parasites irradiated at other doses. To confirm this metacyclogenesis, a complement lysis assay was performed with 5, 10 and 20% of male guinea pig blood serum at 20 deg C for 3 hours, and parasites counted. Guinea pig serum a 10% promotes more lysis, with 200 Gy irradiated parasites being less affected, probably due to metacyclic selection. These preliminary results suggests that the ionizing radiation, specially between 200 and 400 Gy, could be a alternative tool for the selection of metacyclic forms of Leishmania amazonensis in culture. (a0011uth.

  1. Metacyclic promastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis selection using gamma irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bonetti, Franco C.; Nascimento, Nanci do; Andrade Junior, Heitor Franco de

    2005-01-01

    Leishmania spp. causes a spectrum of human diseases, ranging from self-healing skin lesions to severe and lethal visceral disease. In previous work we demonstrated that the protein and nucleic acid metabolism and oxidative respiration were severely affected by irradiation, in a dose response way, but a small but representative fractions are relatively radio resistant, surviving after 800 Gy of 60 Co irradiation. The best explanation could be a selection of metacyclic promastigotes. In these forms, the G0 state allows the adequate correction of DNA repair after the irradiation insult. In this work, we are looking for the ideal radiation dose to select the higher proportion of metacyclic forms of L.. (L.) amazonensis in culture. Parasites were grown in RPMI 1640 medium, plus 20% fetal calf serum, than they were irradiated with different doses ranging between 25 and 400 Gy. Parasites irradiated at 400 Gy infected, proportionally, more cells than parasites irradiated at other doses. To confirm this metacyclogenesis, a complement lysis assay was performed with 5, 10 and 20% of male guinea pig blood serum at 20 deg C for 3 hours, and parasites counted. Guinea pig serum a 10% promotes more lysis, with 200 Gy irradiated parasites being less affected, probably due to metacyclic selection. These preliminary results suggests that the ionizing radiation, specially between 200 and 400 Gy, could be a alternative tool for the selection of metacyclic forms of Leishmania amazonensis in culture. (author)

  2. Gene Cloning of Iranian Leishmania major Mannose-1-Phosphate Guanyltransferase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R Salehi

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available "nBackground: Leishmania is an obligatory intracellular protozoan parasite, which infects human be­ings when infected sand fly vector takes a blood meal.  Most efforts are towards designing an effective vaccine to prevent leishmaniasis. In this way, development of candidate antigen for vaccine has spe­cial im­portant. In this study, we cloned mannose-1-phosphate guanyltransferase gene of Iranian L .major in pET32a expression vector. "nMethods: Primers based on L. major mannose-1-phosphate guanyltransferase sequence gene was de­signed and synthesized. DNA of Leishmania promastigotes was extracted and PCR reaction was done. PCR product was cloned into pTZ57R and sub cloned into pET32a expression vector. "nResults: Recombinant plasmid containing 1140 bp as L. major mannose-1-phosphate guanyltrans­ferase gene was extracted and confirmed by restriction analysis. PCR product was sequenced and de­posited to GenBank. There were some differences in amino acid sequences between Iranian L. major mannose-1-phosphate guanyltransferase and others previously accepted in GenBank "nConclusion: We amplified and cloned Iranian L. major mannose-1-phosphate guanyltransferase successfully.

  3. Cryopreservation of Leishmania Species in Manisa Province.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Çavuş, İbrahim; Ocak, Fulya; Kaya, Tuğba; Özbilgin, Ahmet

    2017-09-01

    It was aimed to assess the success of the cryopreservation process which is carried out in order to preserve the genetic material and the virulence of the Leishmania species that are an important health problem in our region. Leishmania tropica, L. infantum, L. major, and L. donovani strains in Novy-MacNeal-Nicolle (NNN) medium in MCBU were used. Promastigotes cultured in the NNN medium were transferred to RPMI 1640 medium; promastigotes in the logarithmic phase were washed three times with PBS, and 15% dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) was added. Leishmania species were transferred to 12 separate tubes. The tubes were stored at -86°C for one night by placing them in Coolcell boxes. The tubes were transferred into a liquid nitrogen tank. One cryotube per Leishmania strain is thawed monthly and cultured in NNN medium. For the duration of study it was observed that each Leishmania isolate preserved 60-65% of their viability and entered the logarithmic phase on the 7th day following the inoculation in the NNN medium. Abnormalities in the structures and movements of the promastigotes were not observed in microscopic examinations. The following conclusions were made: cryopreservation is important for studies planned related to leishmaniasis and cryopreservation with DMSO is successful.

  4. Expression of Leishmania major LmSTI1 in Yeast Pichia Pastoris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehdi Shokri

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Leishmania major LmSTI1 is a conserved protein among different species of leishmania, and expressed in both amastigote and promastigote forms of L. major life cycle. It has previously been expressed in bacterial systems.Materials and Methods: To express LmSTI1 in the methylotrophic yeast         Pichia pastoris (P. pastoris, the shuttle vector pPICZA containing gene lmsti1 was constructed under the control of the AOX1 promoter. The recombinant vector was electro-transformed into P. pastoris, and induced by 0.5% methanol in the buffered medium. The expression of the LmSTI1 protein was visualized in the total soluble protein of P. pastoris by 12% SDS-PAGE, and further confirmed by Western blotting with L.major-infected mouse sera and HRP-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG as the first and secondary antibodies, respectively.Results: The expression level was 0.2% of total soluble proteins.Conclusion: It might be possible to use this formulation as a whole yeast candidate vaccine against cutaneous leishmanization.

  5. In vitro activity of Arbutus unedo against Leishmania tropica promastigotes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kivçak, Bijen; Mert, Tuba; Ertabaklar, Hatice; Balcioğlu, I Cüneyt; Ozensoy Töz, Seray

    2009-01-01

    Pentavalent antimonials are the first choice for the treatment of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) in health centers in Turkey, however in rural areas, traditional plants may be preferred for the treatment of lesions. In recent years a number of papers are published related to the natural products especially plant derivates. Our aim is to investigate the antileishmanial effect of Arbutus unedo which is a wild plant mainly grown in maquis and rocky places of the seabord in South Europe. In the present study, the ethanolic, water and n-hexane extracts from the leaves of Arbutus unedo were originally tested in vitro against Leishmania tropica promastigotes. The ethanol extract of Arbutus unedo leaves at the concentrations of 100, 250, 500 microg/ml were found to be more effective than the other extracts (p:0.000). Our study showed that the ethanolic extract of Arbutus unedo leaves can be a promising antileishmanial agent and further experiments are needed.

  6. Licochalcone A, a novel antiparasitic agent with potent activity against human pathogenic protozoan species of Leishmania

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chen, M; Christensen, S B; Blom, J

    1993-01-01

    Licochalcone A, an oxygenated chalcone isolated from the roots of Chinese licorice plant, inhibited the growth of both Leishmania major and Leishmania donovani promastigotes and amastigotes. The structure of the licochalcone A was established by mass and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies...... killing of the parasite. These data show that intracellular Leishmania amastigotes are more susceptible than promastigotes to licochalcone A. Results of studies on the site of action of licochalcone A indicate that the target organelle appears to be the parasite mitochondria. These findings demonstrate...

  7. Curcumin overcomes the inhibitory effect of nitric oxide on Leishmania.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Marion Man-Ying; Adapala, Naga Suresh; Fong, Dunne

    2005-04-01

    Upon Leishmania infection, macrophages are activated to produce nitrogen and oxygen radicals simultaneously. It is well established that the infected host cells rely on nitric oxide (NO) as the major weapon against the intracellular parasite. In India where leishmaniasis is endemic, the spice turmeric is used prolifically in food and for insect bites. Curcumin, the active principle of turmeric, is a scavenger of NO. This report shows that curcumin protects promastigotes and amastigotes of the visceral species, Leishmania donovani, and promastigotes of the cutaneous species, L. major, against the actions of S-nitroso-N-acetyl-D,L-penicillamine (SNAP) and DETANONOate, which release NO, 3-morpholino-sydnonimine hydrochloride (SIN-1), which releases NO and superoxide, and peroxynitrite, which is formed from the reaction of NO with superoxide. Thus, curcumin, as an antioxidant, is capable of blocking the action of both NO and NO congeners on the Leishmania parasite.

  8. Arginase expression modulates nitric oxide production in Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acuña, Stephanie Maia; Aoki, Juliana Ide; Laranjeira-Silva, Maria Fernanda; Zampieri, Ricardo Andrade; Fernandes, Juliane Cristina Ribeiro; Muxel, Sandra Marcia; Floeter-Winter, Lucile Maria

    2017-01-01

    Arginase is an enzyme that converts L-arginine to urea and L-ornithine, an essential substrate for the polyamine pathway supporting Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis replication and its survival in the mammalian host. L-arginine is also the substrate of macrophage nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2) to produce nitric oxide (NO) that kills the parasite. This competition can define the fate of Leishmania infection. The transcriptomic profiling identified a family of oxidoreductases in L. (L.) amazonensis wild-type (La-WT) and L. (L.) amazonensis arginase knockout (La-arg-) promastigotes and axenic amastigotes. We highlighted the identification of an oxidoreductase that could act as nitric oxide synthase-like (NOS-like), due to the following evidences: conserved domain composition, the participation of NO production during the time course of promastigotes growth and during the axenic amastigotes differentiation, regulation dependence on arginase activity, as well as reduction of NO amount through the NOS activity inhibition. NO quantification was measured by DAF-FM labeling analysis in a flow cytometry. We described an arginase-dependent NOS-like activity in L. (L.) amazonensis and its role in the parasite growth. The increased detection of NO production in the mid-stationary and late-stationary growth phases of La-WT promastigotes could suggest that this production is an important factor to metacyclogenesis triggering. On the other hand, La-arg- showed an earlier increase in NO production compared to La-WT, suggesting that NO production can be arginase-dependent. Interestingly, La-WT and La-arg- axenic amastigotes produced higher levels of NO than those observed in promastigotes. As a conclusion, our work suggested that NOS-like is expressed in Leishmania in the stationary growth phase promastigotes and amastigotes, and could be correlated to metacyclogenesis and amastigotes growth in a dependent way to the internal pool of L-arginine and arginase activity.

  9. Study of ionizing radiation as a tool for select promastigotes forms of Leishmania Amazonensis, and the megalomaniac response in experimental models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bonetti, Franco Claudio

    2006-01-01

    Actually, millions of people around the globe are under the risk of infection by a protozoan transmitted by a bit of a sand fly. This parasite is a Leishmania spp. This causes a wide spectrum disease, since a cutaneous disease to a visceral one. The cutaneous form is the major clinical manifestation (above 90%). The ionizing radiation, produced in a 60 Co font, had being successes used to promote physical-chemical transformations on different protozoan, including Leishmania spp. In previous work was determined that promastigotes forms of Leishmania amazonensis, irradiated with different doses of radiation, lost their viability maintaining, however, their immunogenicity. In this work, was studied the use of ionizing radiation as a tool for selection of meta cyclic forms of the parasite in axenic culture, for a possible efficient irradiated immuno gene production. Our results shown that cultures irradiated with 400 Gy of gamma irradiation, has 75% of metacyclic form, which are capable to produce, in vitro, an infection that is similar the natural occurrence. These irradiated parasites have their internal cellular structure modified, maintaining their external structure intact. Susceptible strain of mice immunized with leishmania irradiated with different doses had high immunoglobulin production, and maintained this production after the challenge with naive parasites. In other strains this default was similar, however in lower titles. Immunodeficient mice didn't produce immunoglobulin nor on the immunization or on the challenge. (author)

  10. In vitro selection of miltefosine resistance in promastigotes of Leishmania donovani from Nepal: genomic and metabolomic characterization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaw, C D; Lonchamp, J; Downing, T; Imamura, H; Freeman, T M; Cotton, J A; Sanders, M; Blackburn, G; Dujardin, J C; Rijal, S; Khanal, B; Illingworth, C J R; Coombs, G H; Carter, K C

    2016-03-01

    In this study, we followed the genomic, lipidomic and metabolomic changes associated with the selection of miltefosine (MIL) resistance in two clinically derived Leishmania donovani strains with different inherent resistance to antimonial drugs (antimony sensitive strain Sb-S; and antimony resistant Sb-R). MIL-R was easily induced in both strains using the promastigote-stage, but a significant increase in MIL-R in the intracellular amastigote compared to the corresponding wild-type did not occur until promastigotes had adapted to 12.2 μM MIL. A variety of common and strain-specific genetic changes were discovered in MIL-adapted parasites, including deletions at the LdMT transporter gene, single-base mutations and changes in somy. The most obvious lipid changes in MIL-R promastigotes occurred to phosphatidylcholines and lysophosphatidylcholines and results indicate that the Kennedy pathway is involved in MIL resistance. The inherent Sb resistance of the parasite had an impact on the changes that occurred in MIL-R parasites, with more genetic changes occurring in Sb-R compared with Sb-S parasites. Initial interpretation of the changes identified in this study does not support synergies with Sb-R in the mechanisms of MIL resistance, though this requires an enhanced understanding of the parasite's biochemical pathways and how they are genetically regulated to be verified fully. © 2015 The Authors. Molecular Microbiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Inhibitory activity of pentacyano(isoniazid)ferrate(II), IQG-607, against promastigotes and amastigotes forms of Leishmania braziliensis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amorim, Camila F.; Galina, Luiza; Carvalho, Natália B.; Sperotto, Nathalia D. M.; Pissinate, Kenia; Machado, Pablo; Campos, Maria M.; Basso, Luiz A.; Carvalho, Edgar M.; Santos, Diógenes Santiago

    2017-01-01

    M. tuberculosis and parasites of the genus Leishmania present the type II fatty acid biosynthesis system (FASII). The pentacyano(isoniazid)ferrate(II) compound, named IQG-607, inhibits the enzyme 2-trans-enoyl-ACP(CoA) reductase from M. tuberculosis, a key component in the FASII system. Here, we aimed to evaluate the inhibitory activity of IQG-607 against promastigote and amastigote forms of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis isolated from patients with different clinical forms of L. braziliensis infection, including cutaneous, mucosal and disseminated leishmaniasis. Importantly, IQG-607 inhibited the proliferation of three different isolates of L. braziliensis promastigotes associated with cutaneous, mucosal and disseminated leishmaniasis. The IC50 values for IQG-607 ranged from 32 to 75 μM, for these forms. Additionally, IQG-607 treatment decreased the proliferation of intracellular amastigotes in infected macrophages, after an analysis of the percentage of infected cells and the number of intracellular parasites/100 cells. IQG-607 reduced from 58% to 98% the proliferation of L. braziliensis from cutaneous, mucosal and disseminated strains. Moreover, IQG-607 was also evaluated regarding its potential toxic profile, by using different cell lines. Cell viability of the lineages Vero, HaCat and HepG2 was significantly reduced after incubation with concentrations of IQG-607 higher than 2 mM. Importantly, IQG-607, in a concentration of 1 mM, did not induce DNA damage in HepG2 cells, when compared to the untreated control group. Future studies will confirm the mechanism of action of IQG-607 against L. braziliensis. PMID:29281707

  12. Investigation of Antileishmanial Effect of Alcoholic Extract and Essential Oil of Medicinal Plant Leaf Black Alfalfa (Medicago Lupulina, on The Number of Clinical Isolates of Leishmania Major Promastigotes in Vitro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E Gharirvand Eskandari

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Leishmaniasis has created enormous global health problems. Side effects, drug resistance and the lack of effective vaccines had led to the new effective compounds effective of plants. The aim of this study was to introduce a traditional medicinal plant called Black alfalfa (Medicago Lupulina that can be used as a valuable resource against cutaneous leishmaniasis. Methods: In this experimental study, alcoholic extract was prepared by maceration and essential oil by distillation water method. Leishmania major promastigotes were cultured at 25 ± 2° C in N.N.N culturemedium, then in Schneider and next were cultured in RPMI- 1640. afterward, using MTT (Methyl Thiazole Tetrazolium, the IC50 (Inhibitory Concentrations 50% for extracts, essence and Glucantime were determined. The results using Tukey and t-test were analyzed and were presented by software SPSS16. MTT assay were repeated. 3 times for each sample. Results: IC50 for alfalfa leaf extract and essential oil of black alfalfa and Glucantime against L. major promastigotes was determined after 24, 48 and 72 hours, 240, 130 and 69 micrograms per ml, and 801, 340 and 190 micrograms per ml, also 26, 19 and 11 micrograms per ml , respectively. There was a significant differences between the IC50 plant extract and essential oil and Glucantime after 24, 48 and 72 hours. Conclusion: Alcoholic extracts and essential oil the plant had significant anti leishmaniasis effects in vitro. In this way, it can be considered as an anti-leishmaniasis among the herbs.

  13. Serum Removal from Culture Induces Growth Arrest, Ploidy Alteration, Decrease in Infectivity and Differential Expression of Crucial Genes in Leishmania infantum Promastigotes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro J Alcolea

    Full Text Available Leishmania infantum is one of the species responsible for visceral leishmaniasis. This species is distributed basically in the Mediterranean basin. A recent outbreak in humans has been reported in Spain. Axenic cultures are performed for most procedures with Leishmania spp. promastigotes. This model is stable and reproducible and mimics the conditions of the gut of the sand fly host, which is the natural environment of promastigote development. Culture media are undefined because they contain mammalian serum, which is a rich source of complex lipids and proteins. Serum deprivation slows down the growth kinetics and therefore, yield in biomass. In fact, we have confirmed that the growth rate decreases, as well as infectivity. Ploidy is also affected. Regarding the transcriptome, a high-throughput approach has revealed a low differential expression rate but important differentially regulated genes. The most remarkable profiles are: up-regulation of the GINS Psf3, the fatty acyl-CoA synthase (FAS1, the glyoxylase I (GLO1, the hydrophilic surface protein B (HASPB, the methylmalonyl-CoA epimerase (MMCE and an amastin gene; and down-regulation of the gPEPCK and the arginase. Implications for metabolic adaptations, differentiation and infectivity are discussed herein.

  14. Serum Removal from Culture Induces Growth Arrest, Ploidy Alteration, Decrease in Infectivity and Differential Expression of Crucial Genes in Leishmania infantum Promastigotes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alcolea, Pedro J; Alonso, Ana; Moreno-Izquierdo, Miguel A; Degayón, María A; Moreno, Inmaculada; Larraga, Vicente

    2016-01-01

    Leishmania infantum is one of the species responsible for visceral leishmaniasis. This species is distributed basically in the Mediterranean basin. A recent outbreak in humans has been reported in Spain. Axenic cultures are performed for most procedures with Leishmania spp. promastigotes. This model is stable and reproducible and mimics the conditions of the gut of the sand fly host, which is the natural environment of promastigote development. Culture media are undefined because they contain mammalian serum, which is a rich source of complex lipids and proteins. Serum deprivation slows down the growth kinetics and therefore, yield in biomass. In fact, we have confirmed that the growth rate decreases, as well as infectivity. Ploidy is also affected. Regarding the transcriptome, a high-throughput approach has revealed a low differential expression rate but important differentially regulated genes. The most remarkable profiles are: up-regulation of the GINS Psf3, the fatty acyl-CoA synthase (FAS1), the glyoxylase I (GLO1), the hydrophilic surface protein B (HASPB), the methylmalonyl-CoA epimerase (MMCE) and an amastin gene; and down-regulation of the gPEPCK and the arginase. Implications for metabolic adaptations, differentiation and infectivity are discussed herein.

  15. Dynamics of sterol synthesis during development of Leishmania spp. parasites to their virulent form.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Chaoqun; Wilson, Mary E

    2016-04-12

    The Leishmania spp. protozoa, the causative agents of the "neglected" tropical disease leishmaniasis, are transmitted to mammals by sand fly vectors. Within the sand fly, parasites transform from amastigotes to procyclic promastigotes, followed by development of virulent (metacyclic) promastigote forms. The latter are infectious to mammalian hosts. Biochemical components localized in the parasite plasma membrane such as proteins and sterols play a pivotal role in Leishmania pathogenesis. Leishmania spp. lack the enzymes for cholesterol synthesis, and the dynamics of sterol acquisition and biosynthesis in parasite developmental stages are not understood. We hypothesized that dynamic changes in sterol composition during metacyclogenesis contribute to the virulence of metacyclic promastigotes. Sterols were extracted from logarithmic phase or metacyclic promastigotes grown in liquid culture with or without cholesterol, and analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). TriTrypDB was searched for identification of genes involved in Leishmania sterol biosynthetic pathways. In total nine sterols were identified. There were dynamic changes in sterols during promastigote metacyclogenesis. Cholesterol in the culture medium affected sterol composition in different parasite stages. There were qualitative and relative quantitative differences between the sterol content of virulent versus avirulent parasite strains. A tentative sterol biosynthetic pathway in Leishmania spp. promastigotes was identified. Significant differences in sterol composition were observed between promastigote stages, and between parasites exposed to different extracellular cholesterol in the environment. These data lay the foundation for further investigating the role of sterols in the pathogenesis of Leishmania spp. infections.

  16. Expression of hsa Let-7a MicroRNA of Macrophages Infected by Leishmania Major

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nooshin Hashemi

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Leishmaniasis is a vector-born disease caused by species of the genus Leishmania and is transmitted from host to host through the bite of an infected sandfly. MicroRNAs (miRNAs are non-coding small RNAs with 22-nucleotide length. They are involved in some biological and cellular processes. We aimed to evaluate the expression of let-7a in human macrophages miRNA when are infected by Leishmania major. We also evaluated the impact of Leishmania major infection on the expression of let-7a at two different times, 24 and 48 hours, after infection. Blood samples were collected from ten healthy volunteers with no history of leishmaniasis. Development of macrophages from peripheral monocytes and infection with stationary phase of Leishmania major promastigotes were done through serial cultures under 5% CO2 environment and 37C. To measure the expression levels of let-7a real-time PCR was performed with specific related primers using the SYBR® Green master mix Kit™. The real-time PCR showed let-7a was expressed in cells infected with parasites after 24 and 48h post-infection. Comparison of let-7a miRNA expression after 24 and 48 h revealed that let-7a miRNAs were down-regulated at 48 h post-infection more than 24h after infection. The results of this study suggest that according to the main function of miRNA in repression of mRNA translation it could be possible to manipulate host cells in order to alter miRNA levels and regulate macrophage functions after establishment of intracellular parasites such as Leishmania.

  17. Gluconeogenesis in Leishmania mexicana: contribution of glycerol kinase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, and pyruvate phosphate dikinase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez-Contreras, Dayana; Hamilton, Nicklas

    2014-11-21

    Gluconeogenesis is an active pathway in Leishmania amastigotes and is essential for their survival within the mammalian cells. However, our knowledge about this pathway in trypanosomatids is very limited. We investigated the role of glycerol kinase (GK), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), and pyruvate phosphate dikinase (PPDK) in gluconeogenesis by generating the respective Leishmania mexicana Δgk, Δpepck, and Δppdk null mutants. Our results demonstrated that indeed GK, PEPCK, and PPDK are key players in the gluconeogenesis pathway in Leishmania, although stage-specific differences in their contribution to this pathway were found. GK participates in the entry of glycerol in promastigotes and amastigotes; PEPCK participates in the entry of aspartate in promastigotes, and PPDK is involved in the entry of alanine in amastigotes. Furthermore, the majority of alanine enters into the pathway via decarboxylation of pyruvate in promastigotes, whereas pathway redundancy is suggested for the entry of aspartate in amastigotes. Interestingly, we also found that l-lactate, an abundant glucogenic precursor in mammals, was used by Leishmania amastigotes to synthesize mannogen, entering the pathway through PPDK. On the basis of these new results, we propose a revision in the current model of gluconeogenesis in Leishmania, emphasizing the differences between amastigotes and promastigotes. This work underlines the importance of studying the trypanosomatid intracellular life cycle stages to gain a better understanding of the pathologies caused in humans. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  18. Expression and subcellular localization of ORC1 in Leishmania major

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, Diwakar; Mukherji, Agnideep; Saha, Swati

    2008-01-01

    The mechanism of DNA replication is highly conserved in eukaryotes, with the process being preceded by the ordered assembly of pre-replication complexes (pre-RCs). Pre-RC formation is triggered by the association of the origin replication complex (ORC) with chromatin. Leishmania major appears to have only one ORC ortholog, ORC1. ORC1 in other eukaryotes is the largest of the ORC subunits and is believed to play a significant role in modulating replication initiation. Here we report for the first time, the cloning of ORC1 from L. major, and the analysis of its expression in L. major promastigotes. In human cells ORC1 levels have been found to be upregulated in G1 and subsequently degraded, thus playing a role in controlling replication initiation. We examine the subcellular localization of L. major ORC1 in relation to the different stages of the cell cycle. Our results show that, unlike what is widely believed to be the case with ORC1 in human cells, ORC1 in L. major is nuclear at all stages of the cell cycle

  19. A radioattenuated Leishmania major vaccine markedly increases the resistance of CBA mice to subsequent infection with Leishmania mexicana mexicana

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alexander, J.

    1982-01-01

    Vaccinating CBA mice with radioattenuated Leishmania major amastigotes but not with radioattenuated L. mexicana amastigotes rendered them highly resistant to subsequent infection with L. m. mexicana. Unvaccinated CBA mice were highly susceptible to infection with L. m. mexicana producing rapidly growing non-ulcerating cutaneous lesions. Two manifestations of resistance were induced in vaccinated animals depending on the timing of the challenge infection: no lesions appeared at the site of subcutaneous challenge in animals vaccinated four or more weeks previously, while lesions grew rapidly but ulcerated and healed in animals vaccinated less than 3 weeks beforehand. L. major amastigotes were found to be markedly more resistant to γ irradiation than L. m.mexicana amastigotes both as measured by their ability to infect susceptible strains of mice and to transform and multiply as promastigotes in NNN medium. (author)

  20. Infection parameters in the sand fly vector that predict transmission of Leishmania major.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stamper, Lisa W; Patrick, Rachel L; Fay, Michael P; Lawyer, Phillip G; Elnaiem, Dia-Eldin A; Secundino, Nagila; Debrabant, Alain; Sacks, David L; Peters, Nathan C

    2011-08-01

    To identify parameters of Leishmania infection within a population of infected sand flies that reliably predict subsequent transmission to the mammalian host, we sampled groups of infected flies and compared infection intensity and degree of metacyclogenesis with the frequency of transmission. The percentage of parasites within the midgut that were metacyclic promastigotes had the highest correlation with the frequency of transmission. Meta-analysis of multiple transmission experiments allowed us to establish a percent-metacyclic "cutoff" value that predicted transmission competence. Sand fly infections initiated with variable doses of parasites resulted in correspondingly altered percentages of metacyclic promastigotes, resulting in altered transmission frequency and disease severity. Lastly, alteration of sand fly oviposition status and environmental conditions at the time of transmission also influenced transmission frequency. These observations have implications for transmission of Leishmania by the sand fly vector in both the laboratory and in nature, including how the number of organisms acquired by the sand fly from an infection reservoir may influence the clinical outcome of infection following transmission by bite.

  1. Leishmania hijacking of the macrophage intracellular compartments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liévin-Le Moal, Vanessa; Loiseau, Philippe M

    2016-02-01

    Leishmania spp., transmitted to humans by the bite of the sandfly vector, are responsible for the three major forms of leishmaniasis, cutaneous, diffuse mucocutaneous and visceral. Leishmania spp. interact with membrane receptors of neutrophils and macrophages. In macrophages, the parasite is internalized within a parasitophorous vacuole and engages in a particular intracellular lifestyle in which the flagellated, motile Leishmania promastigote metacyclic form differentiates into non-motile, metacyclic amastigote form. This phenomenon is induced by Leishmania-triggered events leading to the fusion of the parasitophorous vacuole with vesicular members of the host cell endocytic pathway including recycling endosomes, late endosomes and the endoplasmic reticulum. Maturation of the parasitophorous vacuole leads to the intracellular proliferation of the Leishmania amastigote forms by acquisition of host cell nutrients while escaping host defense responses. © 2015 FEBS.

  2. Dichotomy of the human T cell response to Leishmania antigens. I. Th1-like response to Leishmania major promastigote antigens in individuals recovered from cutaneous leishmaniasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kemp, M; Hey, A S; Kurtzhals, J A

    1994-01-01

    of skin lesions, and in Danes without known exposure to Leishmania parasites. Proliferation and production of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and IL-4 in antigen-stimulated cultures was measured. Lymphocytes from individuals with a history of CL proliferated vigorously and produced IFN-gamma after...... the unexposed Danes were not activated by gp63. The cells from Danish donors produced either IFN-gamma or IL-4, but not both cytokines after incubation with the crude preparation of L. major antigens. The data show that the T cell response to Leishmania antigens in humans who have had uncomplicated CL...... stimulation with either a crude preparation of L. major antigens or the major surface protease gp63. These cultures produced no or only little IL-4. Also cells from leishmanin skin test-positive donors with no history of CL produced IFN-gamma and no IL-4 in response to L. major antigens. Cells from...

  3. Effect of BMAP-28 antimicrobial peptides on Leishmania major promastigote and amastigote growth

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lynn, Miriam A.; Kindrachuk, Jason; Marr, Alexandra K.

    2011-01-01

    Background: Protozoan parasites, such as Leishmania, still pose an enormous public health problem in many countries throughout the world. Current measures are outdated and have some associated drug resistance, prompting the search into novel therapies. Several innovative approaches are under...... of the cathelicidin family of HDPs have demonstrated significant antimicrobial activities against various parasites including Leishmania. The cathelicidin bovine myeloid antimicrobial peptide 28 (BMAP-28) has broad antimicrobial activities and confers protection in animal models of bacterial infection or sepsis. We...... with early osmotic cell lysis caused by the antimicrobial peptides. Furthermore, BMAP-28 and its isomers demonstrated anti-leishmanial activities against intracellular amastigotes within a macrophage infection model. Conclusions/Significance: Interestingly, D-BMAP-28 appears to be the most potent...

  4. Passive transfer of leishmania lipopolysaccharide confers parasite survival in macrophages

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Handman, E.; Schnur, L.F.; Spithill, T.W.; Mitchell, G.F.

    1986-01-01

    Infection of macrophages by the intracellular protozoan parasite Leishmania involves specific attachment to the host membrane, followed by phagocytosis and intracellular survival and growth. Two parasite molecules have been implicated in the attachment event: Leishmania lipopolysaccharide (L-LPS) and a glycoprotein (gp63). This study was designed to clarify the role of L-LPS in infection and the stage in the process of infection at which it operates. The authors have recently identified a Leishmania major strain (LRC-L119) which lacks the L-LPS molecule and is not infective for hamsters or mice. This parasite was isolated from a gerbil in Kenya and was identified phenotypically as L. major by isoenzyme and fatty acid analysis. In this study they have confirmed at the genotype level that LRC-L119 is L. major by analyzing and comparing the organization of cloned DNA sequences in the genome of different strains of L. major. Here they show that LRC-L119 promastigotes are phagocytosed rapidly by macrophages in vitro, but in contrast to virulent strains of L. major, they are then killed over a period of 18 hr. In addition, they show that transfer of purified L-LPS from a virulent clone of L. major (V121) into LRC-L119 promastigotes confers on them the ability to survive in macrophages in vitro

  5. The major surface glycoprotein (gp63) from Leishmania major and Leishmania donovani cleaves CD4 molecules on human T cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hey, A S; Theander, T G; Hviid, L

    1994-01-01

    The effect of Leishmania major and L. donovani surface protease gp63 on surface markers on human T cells was studied using fluorescence-activated flow cytometry. Purified gp63 (63,000 m.w. glycoprotein) at concentrations above 10 micrograms/ml completely inhibited binding of six different anti-CD4......-expression of CD4, reaching 50% of the initial level after 72 h of incubation in medium. Preincubation of cells with live promastigotes showed an inhibitory effect on CD4 comparable to that seen with purified gp63. The binding of Abs directed against other surface markers present on human T-cells--CD2, CD3, CD5......, CD8, CD11A, CD25, CD45RO, CD45RA, CD58, TCR-alpha, TCR-gamma, and HLA DQ--was not inhibited by gp63. These data suggest that gp63, both in its purified form and in the form anchored to the parasite membrane, cleaves CD4 on human T cells. The cleavage of CD4 by the protease might play a role...

  6. Different host complement systems and their interactions with saliva from Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera, Psychodidae) and Leishmania infantum promastigotes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendes-Sousa, Antonio Ferreira; Nascimento, Alexandre Alves Sousa; Queiroz, Daniel Costa; Vale, Vladimir Fazito; Fujiwara, Ricardo Toshio; Araújo, Ricardo Nascimento; Pereira, Marcos Horácio; Gontijo, Nelder Figueiredo

    2013-01-01

    Lutzomyia longipalpis is the vector of Leishmania infantum in the New World, and its saliva inhibits classical and alternative human complement system pathways. This inhibition is important in protecting the insect´s midgut from damage by the complement. L. longipalpis is a promiscuous blood feeder and must be protected against its host's complement. The objective of this study was to investigate the action of salivary complement inhibitors on the sera of different host species, such as dogs, guinea pigs, rats and chickens, at a pH of 7.4 (normal blood pH) and 8.15 (the midgut pH immediately after a blood meal). We also investigated the role of the chicken complement system in Leishmania clearance in the presence and absence of vector saliva. The saliva was capable of inhibiting classical pathways in dogs, guinea pigs and rats at both pHs. The alternative pathway was not inhibited except in dogs at a pH of 8.15. The chicken classical pathway was inhibited only by high concentrations of saliva and it was better inhibited by the midgut contents of sand flies. Neither the saliva nor the midgut contents had any effect on the avian alternative pathway. Fowl sera killed L. infantum promastigotes, even at a low concentration (2%), and the addition of L. longipalpis saliva did not protect the parasites. The high body temperature of chickens (40°C) had no effect on Leishmania viability during our assays. Salivary inhibitors act in a species-specific manner. It is important to determine their effects in the natural hosts of Leishmania infantum because they act on canid and rodent complements but not on chickens (which do not harbour the parasite). Moreover, we concluded that the avian complement system is the probable mechanism through which chickens eliminate Leishmania and that their high body temperature does not influence this parasite.

  7. Cell migration induced by Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis, Leishmania (Leishmania) major and Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis into the peritoneal cavity of BALB/c mice

    OpenAIRE

    DT Wakimoto; KV Gaspareto; TGV Silveira; MVC Lonardoni; SMA Aristides

    2010-01-01

    In American cutaneous leishmaniasis, the initial infection phase is characterized by recruitment of neutrophils and monocytes. The migration of these cells in response to the presence of Leishmania in the peritoneum of affected animals remains unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate cell migration to the peritoneum of BALB/c mice after infection with Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis, Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis and Leishmania (Leishmania) major. Initially, Leishmania ...

  8. Isotopomer profiling of Leishmania mexicana promastigotes reveals important roles for succinate fermentation and aspartate uptake in tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) anaplerosis, glutamate synthesis, and growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saunders, Eleanor C; Ng, William W; Chambers, Jennifer M; Ng, Milica; Naderer, Thomas; Krömer, Jens O; Likic, Vladimir A; McConville, Malcolm J

    2011-08-05

    Leishmania parasites proliferate within nutritionally complex niches in their sandfly vector and mammalian hosts. However, the extent to which these parasites utilize different carbon sources remains poorly defined. In this study, we have followed the incorporation of various (13)C-labeled carbon sources into the intracellular and secreted metabolites of Leishmania mexicana promastigotes using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and (13)C NMR. [U-(13)C]Glucose was rapidly incorporated into intermediates in glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, and the cytoplasmic carbohydrate reserve material, mannogen. Enzymes involved in the upper glycolytic pathway are sequestered within glycosomes, and the ATP and NAD(+) consumed by these reactions were primarily regenerated by the fermentation of phosphoenolpyruvate to succinate (glycosomal succinate fermentation). The initiating enzyme in this pathway, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, was exclusively localized to the glycosome. Although some of the glycosomal succinate was secreted, most of the C4 dicarboxylic acids generated during succinate fermentation were further catabolized in the TCA cycle. A high rate of TCA cycle anaplerosis was further suggested by measurement of [U-(13)C]aspartate and [U-(13)C]alanine uptake and catabolism. TCA cycle anaplerosis is apparently needed to sustain glutamate production under standard culture conditions. Specifically, inhibition of mitochondrial aconitase with sodium fluoroacetate resulted in the rapid depletion of intracellular glutamate pools and growth arrest. Addition of high concentrations of exogenous glutamate alleviated this growth arrest. These findings suggest that glycosomal and mitochondrial metabolism in Leishmania promastigotes is tightly coupled and that, in contrast to the situation in some other trypanosomatid parasites, the TCA cycle has crucial anabolic functions.

  9. Methanolic Extract’s Activity of Artemisia absinthium, Vitexagnus-castus and Phytolacaamericana Against Leishmania major; in vitro and in vivo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khanjani Jafroodi S.1 MSc,

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Aims Leishmaniasis is the most prevalent vector- borne parasitic disease in Iran. Drug treatment is the best way to treat leishmaniasis, while the common drugs are not efficient enough and inevitable side effects limit using these drugs. The aim of this study was to analyze in vitro and in vivo activity of the methanolic extract of Artemisia absinthium, Vitex agnus-castus and Phytolaca americana Against Leishmania major. Materials & Methods The methanolic extracts of Artemisia absinthium, Vitex agnuscastus and Phytolaca americana were prepared by cold percolation method. The inhibitory concentration 50 (IC50 of the plant extracts was determined against L. major promastigotes followed by efficacy evaluation of the extracts against amastigotes and in vivo assay in the BALB/c animal model. The data was analyzed with SPSS 19 software using Student’s T test and ANOVA. Findings Artemisia absinthium had the highest amount of active compounds against promastigotes of L. major (IC50=159.45 and antiprolifrative activity of Artemisia absinthium on both forms of L. major (extracellular promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes was the highest (MI=33%. Vitex agnus-castus had the least toxic effect for macrophages (8%. All extracts limited the progression of lesion size versus control group, however, only inhibitory effect of Artemisia absinthium extract was statistically significant. Conclusion Artemisia absinthium is the most effective growth inhibitor of amastigotes in animal lesions and it is safe for drug application in human and animals.

  10. Lulo cell line derived from Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae): a novel model to assay Leishmania spp. and vector interaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Côrtes, Luzia Mc; Silva, Roger Mm; Pereira, Bernardo As; Guerra, Camila; Zapata, Angela C; Bello, Felio J; Finkelstein, Léa C; Madeira, Maria F; Brazil, Reginaldo P; Côrte-Real, Suzana; Alves, Carlos R

    2011-11-14

    Leishmania (Vianna) braziliensis, Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis and Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi are important parasites in the scenario of leishmaniasis in Brazil. During the life cycle of these parasites, the promastigote forms adhere to the midgut epithelial microvillii of phlebotomine insects to avoid being secreted along with digestive products. Lulo cells are a potential model that will help to understand the features of this adhesion phenomenon. Here, we analyze the interaction between Leishmania spp. promastigotes and Lulo cells in vitro, specifically focusing on adhesion events occurring between three Leishmania species and this cell line. Confluent monolayers of Lulo cells were incubated with promastigotes and adhesion was assessed using both light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicate that species from the subgenera Leishmania and Viannia have great potential to adhere to Lulo cells. The highest adherence rate was observed for L. (L.) chagasi after 24 h of incubation with Lulo cells (27.3 ± 1.8% of cells with adhered promastigotes), followed by L. (L.) amazonensis (16.0 ± 0.7%) and L. (V.) braziliensis (3.0 ± 0.7%), both after 48 h. In the ultrastructural analysis, promastigote adherence was also assessed by scanning electron microscopy, showing that, for parasites from both subgenera, adhesion occurs by both the body and the flagellum. The interaction of Lulo cells with Leishmania (L.) chagasi showed the participation of cytoplasmic projections from the former closely associating the parasites with the cells. We present evidence that Lulo cells can be useful in studies of insect-parasite interactions for Leishmania species.

  11. Subcutaneous immunization against Leishmania major - infection in mice: efficacy of formalin-killed promastigotes combined with adjuvants Imunização subcutânea na infecção do camundongo pela Leishmania major: eficácia dos promastigotos mortos pela formalina combinada com adjuvantes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joshua M. Mutiso

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Formalin-killed promastigotes (FKP of Leishmania major, in combination with Montanide ISA 720 (MISA, BCG or alum were used in vaccination of an inbred murine model against cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL. Significant and specific increases in anti-FKP IgG responses were detected for both alum-FKP and BCG-FKP compared to MISA-FKP (p Promastigotos mortos pela formalina (FKP de Leishmania major combinados com Montanide ISA 720 (MISA, BCG ou alumen foram usados na vacinação de modelo murino cutâneo de leishmaniose (CL. Aumento significante e específico de resposta IgG anti FKP foram detectados tanto no FKP com alumen como naquele com BCG comparados ao MISA-FKP (p < 0,001. Aumento significante da proliferação esplênica de linfócitos de memória foi obtida nos camundongos vacinados com MISA-FKP quando comparados aos grupos vacinados com alumen-FKP ou BCG-FKP (p < 0,01. As maiores respostas por interferon-gama foram observadas no grupo BCG-FKP seguido pelo MISA-FKP enquanto que o alumen-FKP deu a menor resposta. No grupo MISA-FKP foram obtidas reduções significantes do tamanho das lesões quando comparado aos grupos vacinados com BCG/adjuvante de alumen-FKP. Embora o grupo BCG-FKP tenha mostrado a maior resposta por interferon-gama, não houve controle das lesões cutâneas. Redução significante no número de parasitas foi observada tanto no grupo vacinado com MISA-FKP como no BCG-FKP (p < 0,001. Houve boa correlação entre a carga parasitária e o nível de interferon-gama indicando que a resposta do interferon-gama é parâmetro sensível do estado imunológico. Em conclusão, MISA-FKP é a forma mais eficaz de vacina contra a leishmaniose cutânea murina.

  12. In vitro Leishmania major promastigote-induced macrophage migration is modulated by sensory and autonomic neuropeptides

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ahmed, A A; Wahbi, A; Nordlind, K

    1998-01-01

    Recruitment, migration and adherence of macrophages and their interaction with inoculated promastigotes are key steps in the initiation of the inflammatory process in cutaneous leishmaniasis. Parasite- and nervous system-derived factors might be involved in this process. In the present study...

  13. Large-Scale Investigation of Leishmania Interaction Networks with Host Extracellular Matrix by Surface Plasmon Resonance Imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fatoux-Ardore, Marie; Peysselon, Franck; Weiss, Anthony; Bastien, Patrick; Pratlong, Francine

    2014-01-01

    We have set up an assay to study the interactions of live pathogens with their hosts by using protein and glycosaminoglycan arrays probed by surface plasmon resonance imaging. We have used this assay to characterize the interactions of Leishmania promastigotes with ∼70 mammalian host biomolecules (extracellular proteins, glycosaminoglycans, growth factors, cell surface receptors). We have identified, in total, 27 new partners (23 proteins, 4 glycosaminoglycans) of procyclic promastigotes of six Leishmania species and 18 partners (15 proteins, 3 glycosaminoglycans) of three species of stationary-phase promastigotes for all the strains tested. The diversity of the interaction repertoires of Leishmania parasites reflects their dynamic and complex interplay with their mammalian hosts, which depends mostly on the species and strains of Leishmania. Stationary-phase Leishmania parasites target extracellular matrix proteins and glycosaminoglycans, which are highly connected in the extracellular interaction network. Heparin and heparan sulfate bind to most Leishmania strains tested, and 6-O-sulfate groups play a crucial role in these interactions. Numerous Leishmania strains bind to tropoelastin, and some strains are even able to degrade it. Several strains interact with collagen VI, which is expressed by macrophages. Most Leishmania promastigotes interact with several regulators of angiogenesis, including antiangiogenic factors (endostatin, anastellin) and proangiogenic factors (ECM-1, VEGF, and TEM8 [also known as anthrax toxin receptor 1]), which are regulated by hypoxia. Since hypoxia modulates the infection of macrophages by the parasites, these interactions might influence the infection of host cells by Leishmania. PMID:24478075

  14. Antigenic profile of heat-killed versus thimerosal-treated Leishmania major using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

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    Reza Arjmand

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Leishmania is a parasitic protozoan of trypanosomatidae family which causes a wide spectrum of diseases ranging from self-healing cutaneous lesions to deadly visceral forms. In endemic areas, field trials of different preparations of Leishmania total antigen were tested as leishmaniasis vaccine. Two preparations of killed Leishmania major were produced In Iran, which were heat-killed vaccine called autoclaved L. major (ALM and thimerosal-treated freeze-thawed vaccine called killed L. major (KLM. In this study, the protein content of both ALM and KLM were compared with that of freshly harvested intact L. major promastigotes using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE. Materials and Methods: L. major (MRHO/IR/75/ER from pre-infected Balb/c mice was isolated with modified Novy-MacNeal-Nicolle (NNN medium and then subcultured in liquid RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with fetal calf serum (FCS 20% for mass production. Two preparations of KLM and ALM were produced by Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Iran, under WHO/TDR supervision. Electrophoresis was performed by SDS-PAGE method and the gel was stained by Coomassie brilliant blue dye. The resultant unit bands were compared using standard molecular proteins. Results: Electrophoresis of the two preparations produced many bands from 10 kDa to 100 kDa. KLM bands were much like those of freshly harvested intact L. major. Conclusion: It is concluded that although there are similar bands in the three forms of Leishmania antigens, there are some variations which might be considered for identification and purification of protective immunogens in a total crude antigen, and detection of their stability is essential for the production and marketing of a putative vaccine.

  15. Different host complement systems and their interactions with saliva from Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera, Psychodidae and Leishmania infantum promastigotes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Ferreira Mendes-Sousa

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Lutzomyia longipalpis is the vector of Leishmania infantum in the New World, and its saliva inhibits classical and alternative human complement system pathways. This inhibition is important in protecting the insect´s midgut from damage by the complement. L. longipalpis is a promiscuous blood feeder and must be protected against its host's complement. The objective of this study was to investigate the action of salivary complement inhibitors on the sera of different host species, such as dogs, guinea pigs, rats and chickens, at a pH of 7.4 (normal blood pH and 8.15 (the midgut pH immediately after a blood meal. We also investigated the role of the chicken complement system in Leishmania clearance in the presence and absence of vector saliva. RESULTS: The saliva was capable of inhibiting classical pathways in dogs, guinea pigs and rats at both pHs. The alternative pathway was not inhibited except in dogs at a pH of 8.15. The chicken classical pathway was inhibited only by high concentrations of saliva and it was better inhibited by the midgut contents of sand flies. Neither the saliva nor the midgut contents had any effect on the avian alternative pathway. Fowl sera killed L. infantum promastigotes, even at a low concentration (2%, and the addition of L. longipalpis saliva did not protect the parasites. The high body temperature of chickens (40°C had no effect on Leishmania viability during our assays. CONCLUSION: Salivary inhibitors act in a species-specific manner. It is important to determine their effects in the natural hosts of Leishmania infantum because they act on canid and rodent complements but not on chickens (which do not harbour the parasite. Moreover, we concluded that the avian complement system is the probable mechanism through which chickens eliminate Leishmania and that their high body temperature does not influence this parasite.

  16. Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels essential oil and its major constituent α-pinene exhibit anti-Leishmania activity through immunomodulation in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodrigues, Klinger Antonio da Franca; Amorim, Layane Valéria; Dias, Clarice Noleto; Moraes, Denise Fernandes Coutinho; Carneiro, Sabrina Maria Portela; Carvalho, Fernando Aécio de Amorim

    2015-02-03

    Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels (Myrtaceae), commonly known as "jambolão" in Brazil is widely used in folk medicine against leishmaniasis, inflammation, chronic diarrhea, and ulcers. It is one of the most commonly used plants for the treatment of diabetes worldwide. In previous studies, Syzygium cumini was shown to possess antihyperlipidemic and anti-allergic properties, and to exhibit good performance as an antimicrobial agent against bacteria, fungi, and protozoa parasites of the genus Leishmania and Trypanosoma. This study was aimed at evaluating the effects of S. cumini essential oil (ScEO) and its major component α-pinene on Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis, as well as their cytotoxicity and possible mechanisms of action. To evaluate the anti-proliferative effect on Leishmania, effects on promastigote and axenic amastigote forms were assessed using tetrazolium salt (MTT) assay. The intramacrophagic amastigotes were exposed to ScEO and α-pinene to determine the survival index. To gain insight into the mechanism of action involved in the effect on the samples, we evaluated the modulation of macrophage activation state by observing structural (phagocytic and lysosomal activities) and cellular (nitric oxide increase) changes. To assess the safety profile of ScEO and α-pinene, murine macrophages and human red blood cells were treated with ScEO and α-pinene and the selectivity index was calculated for each treatment. α-Pinene was effective against Leishmania amazonensis promastigote forms, with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 19.7µg/mL. α-Pinene was more active (IC50 values of 16.1 and 15.6µg/mL against axenic and intracellular amastigotes, respectively) than ScEO (IC50 values of 43.9 and 38.1µg/mL against axenic and intracellular amastigotes, respectively). Our results showed that the anti-Leishmania effects were mediated by immunomodulatory activity, as evidenced by the observed increases in both phagocytic and lysosomal activity

  17. Arginase activity in pathogenic and non-pathogenic species of Leishmania parasites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badirzadeh, Alireza; Taheri, Tahereh; Taslimi, Yasaman; Abdossamadi, Zahra; Heidari-Kharaji, Maryam; Gholami, Elham; Sedaghat, Baharehsadat; Niyyati, Maryam; Rafati, Sima

    2017-07-01

    Proliferation of Leishmania (L.) parasites depends on polyamine availability, which can be generated by the L-arginine catabolism and the enzymatic activity of arginase (ARG) of the parasites and of the mammalian hosts. In the present study, we characterized and compared the arginase (arg) genes from pathogenic L. major and L. tropica and from non-pathogenic L. tarentolae. We quantified the level of the ARG activity in promastigotes and macrophages infected with pathogenic L. major and L. tropica and non-pathogenic L. tarentolae amastigotes. The ARG's amino acid sequences of the pathogenic and non-pathogenic Leishmania demonstrated virtually 98.6% and 88% identities with the reference L. major Friedlin ARG. Higher ARG activity was observed in all pathogenic promastigotes as compared to non-pathogenic L. tarentolae. In vitro infection of human macrophage cell line (THP1) with pathogenic and non-pathogenic Leishmania spp. resulted in increased ARG activities in the infected macrophages. The ARG activities present in vivo were assessed in susceptible BALB/c and resistant C57BL/6 mice infected with L. major, L. tropica and L. tarentolae. We demonstrated that during the development of the infection, ARG is induced in both strains of mice infected with pathogenic Leishmania. However, in L. major infected BALB/c mice, the induction of ARG and parasite load increased simultaneously according to the time course of infection, whereas in C57BL/6 mice, the enzyme is upregulated solely during the period of footpad swelling. In L. tropica infected mice, the footpads' swellings were slow to develop and demonstrated minimal cutaneous pathology and ARG activity. In contrast, ARG activity was undetectable in mice inoculated with the non-pathogenic L. tarentolae. Our data suggest that infection by Leishmania parasites can increase ARG activity of the host and provides essential polyamines for parasite salvage and its replication. Moreover, the ARG of Leishmania is vital for parasite

  18. Interaccion de promastigotes de Leishmania donovani con celulas de exudado peritonial de ratones mediante la influencia de la quimotripsina

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lucila Arcay

    1986-06-01

    Full Text Available Se hace un estudio de la interacción de promastigotes de Leishmania donovani con células de exudado peritoneal de ratón (c e p mediante la influencia de la quimotripsina. La adhesión de los promastigotes a las c e p fue terminal y marginal, y en observaciones hechas a partir de los 10 minutos de enfrentamiento, esta adhesión fue nula hasta los 30 minutos en el grupo tratado, y sólo a las das horas hubo un pequeño incremento (2.4% con respecto al control. Se observa marcada disminución en todos los parámetro medidos, tales como enlace, penetración, multiplicación intracelular, división de formas flageladas, en el grupo tratado. La quimotripsina favorece la formación de formas intermedias flageladas, heciendose el parásito piriforme y esférico, apareciendo una forma aberrante de extremo anterior cilindrico que semeja a una forma coanoflagelada. Se sospecha que la enzima reduce efectivamente fragmentos proteicos o péptidos, los cuales pueden haber sido tan pequeños como para esconder a otros ligandos relacionados con la adhesión macrófago-parásito.

  19. Dihydrotestosterone enhances growth and infectivity of Leishmania Mexicana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-García, L; Wilkins-Rodriguez, A; Salaiza-Suazo, N; Morales-Montor, J; Becker, I

    2018-03-01

    A strong sex-associated susceptibility towards Leishmania has been reported in males, yet little is known on the effect of hormones in Leishmania physiopathogenicity. Due to the enhanced susceptibility of males to Leishmania mexicana infections, we were interested in analysing the effect exerted by the main androgen produced in males (DHT) on L. mexicana promastigotes. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the regulation exerted by dihydrotestosterone (DHT) on L. mexicana replication, infectivity, survival and development of tissue lesions. Experiments included growth curves of L. mexicana promastigotes incubated with different doses of DHT, their infection rate, intracellular survival and lesion development in BALB/c mice. Our data show that DHT significantly enhances parasite replication, infection rate and survival in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMФ). Promastigotes in the presence of DHT produced significantly larger lesions in BALB/c earlobes. These results suggest that DHT probably plays a critical role during L. mexicana infections, and the higher susceptibility of males possibly relates to benefits gained by the parasite from host-derived hormones. Our data shed new light on the physiopathology of Leishmania infections and are the first attempt to understand the direct interaction between Leishmania and androgens, particularly DHT. Understanding this trans-regulation process employed by parasites to exploit host molecules sheds new light on L. mexicana physiopathogenesis and opens a possible field for studies on drug development. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Purine restriction induces pronounced translational upregulation of the NT1 adenosine/pyrimidine nucleoside transporter in Leishmania major.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ortiz, Diana; Valdés, Raquel; Sanchez, Marco A; Hayenga, Johanna; Elya, Carolyn; Detke, Siegfried; Landfear, Scott M

    2010-10-01

    Leishmania and other parasitic protozoa are unable to synthesize purines de novo and are reliant upon purine nucleoside and nucleobase transporters to import preformed purines from their hosts. To study the roles of the four purine permeases NT1-NT4 in Leishmania major, null mutants in each transporter gene were prepared and the effect of each gene deletion on purine uptake was monitored. Deletion of the NT3 purine nucleobase transporter gene or both NT3 and the NT2 nucleoside transporter gene resulted in pronounced upregulation of adenosine and uridine uptake mediated by the NT1 permease and also induced up to a 200-fold enhancement in the level of the NT1 protein but not mRNA. A similar level of upregulation of NT1 was achieved in wild-type promastigotes that were transferred to medium deficient in purines. Pulse labelling and treatment of cells with the translation inhibitor cycloheximide revealed that control of NT1 expression occurs primarily at the level of translation and not protein turnover. These observations imply the existence of a translational control mechanism that enhances the ability of Leishmania parasites to import essential purines when they are present at limiting concentrations. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  1. Efficacy of Recombinant Canine Distemper Virus Expressing Leishmania Antigen against Leishmania Challenge in Dogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miura, Ryuichi; Kooriyama, Takanori; Yoneda, Misako; Takenaka, Akiko; Doki, Miho; Goto, Yasuyuki; Sanjoba, Chizu; Endo, Yasuyuki; Fujiyuki, Tomoko; Sugai, Akihiro; Tsukiyama-Kohara, Kyoko; Matsumoto, Yoshitsugu; Sato, Hiroki; Kai, Chieko

    2015-01-01

    Canine distemper virus (CDV) vaccination confers long-term protection against CDV reinfection. To investigate the utility of CDV as a polyvalent vaccine vector for Leishmania, we generated recombinant CDVs, based on an avirulent Yanaka strain, that expressed Leishmania antigens: LACK, TSA, or LmSTI1 (rCDV-LACK, rCDV-TSA, and rCDV-LmSTI1, respectively). Dogs immunized with rCDV-LACK were protected against challenge with lethal doses of virulent CDV, in the same way as the parental Yanaka strain. To evaluate the protective effects of the recombinant CDVs against cutaneous leishmaniasis in dogs, dogs were immunized with one recombinant CDV or a cocktail of three recombinant CDVs, before intradermal challenge (in the ears) with infective-stage promastigotes of Leishmania major. Unvaccinated dogs showed increased nodules with ulcer formation after 3 weeks, whereas dogs immunized with rCDV-LACK showed markedly smaller nodules without ulceration. Although the rCDV-TSA- and rCDV-LmSTI1-immunized dogs showed little protection against L. major, the cocktail of three recombinant CDVs more effectively suppressed the progression of nodule formation than immunization with rCDV-LACK alone. These results indicate that recombinant CDV is suitable for use as a polyvalent live attenuated vaccine for protection against both CDV and L. major infections in dogs.

  2. An experimental protocol for the establishment of dogs with long-term cellular immune reactions to Leishmania antigens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Márcia Cristina Aquino Teixeira

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Domestic dogs are considered to be the main reservoirs of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis. In this work, we evaluated a protocol to induce Leishmania infantum/Leishmania chagasi-specific cellular and humoral immune responses in dogs, which consisted of two injections of Leishmania promastigote lysate followed by a subcutaneous inoculation of viable promastigotes. The primary objective was to establish a canine experimental model to provide positive controls for testing immune responses to Leishmania in laboratory conditions. After inoculation of viable promastigotes, specific proliferative responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs to either Leishmania lysate or recombinant proteins, the in vitro production of interferon-γ by antigen-stimulated PBMCs and a significant increase in circulating levels of anti-Leishmania antibodies were observed. The immunized dogs also displayed positive delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions to Leishmania crude antigens and to purified recombinant proteins. An important finding that supports the suitability of the dogs as positive controls is that they remained healthy for the entire observation period, i.e., more than seven years after infection. Following the Leishmania antigen lysate injections, the infection of dogs by the subcutaneous route appears to induce a sustained cellular immune response, leading to an asymptomatic infection. This provides a useful model for both the selection of immunogenic Leishmania antigens and for immunobiological studies on their possible immunoprotective activities.

  3. Antileishmanial Activity of Lavandula angustifolia and Rosmarinus Officinalis Essential Oils and Nano-emulsions on Leishmania major (MRHO/IR/75/ER

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Azar SHOKRI

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available AbstractBackground: The aim of present study was to evaluate antileishmanial effects of Lavandula angustifolia (L. angustifolia and Rosmarinus officinalis (R. officinalis medicinal plants essential oils and nano-emulsions on Leishmania major (L. major. Methods: The present study was performed in Leishmaniasis Reference Lab at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Iran during 2016-2017. The IC50 values were calculated in both the promastigote and amastigote stages in J774 macrophage in comparison with meglumine antimoniate (MA as positive control. In addition, cytotoxicity effects of essential oils and nano-emulsions prepared from both plants against macrophages were evaluated.Results: Both essential oil and nano-emulsion of Lavander and Rosemary showed anti-leishmania activity on promastigote with IC50=0.11 μl/mL, IC50=0.26 μl/mL, and IC50=0.08 μl/mL respectively. Moreover, during amastigote assay, Lavander and Rosemary essential oils and nano-emulsion were effective at least in concentration of 0.12 μl/mL and 0.06 µl/mL (P=0.0001 respectively, on mean infected macrophages (MIR and amastigotes in macrophages (P=0.0001. Additionally, cytotoxicity assay against macrophage revealed no toxicity on the host cells at IC50 concentrations.Conclusion: The nano-emulsions of both plants were more effective than essential oil in both MIR and amastigote. However, in comparison with MA, the Lavander essential oil is more effective in reducing MIR. Rosemary nano-emulsion reduced MIR significantly more than MA in concentration of 0.25 μl/mL (P<0.001. Further investigations are recommended to evaluate the effect of these medicinal plants in murine models.

  4. A defined medium for Leishmania culture allows definition of essential amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nayak, Archana; Akpunarlieva, Snezhana; Barrett, Michael; Burchmore, Richard

    2018-02-01

    Axenic culture of Leishmania is generally performed in rich, serum-supplemented media which sustain robust growth over multiple passages. The use of such undefined media, however, obscures proteomic analyses and confounds the study of metabolism. We have established a simple, defined culture medium that supports the sustained growth of promastigotes over multiple passages and which yields parasites that have similar infectivity to macrophages to parasites grown in a conventional semi-defined medium. We have exploited this medium to investigate the amino acid requirements of promastigotes in culture and have found that phenylalanine, tryptophan, arginine, leucine, lysine and valine are essential for viability in culture. Most of the 20 proteogenic amino acids promote growth of Leishmania promastigotes, with the exception of alanine, asparagine, and glycine. This defined medium will be useful for further studies of promastigote substrate requirements, and will facilitate future proteomic and metabolomic analyses. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Anti-Leishmania activity of new ruthenium(II) complexes: Effect on parasite-host interaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa, Mônica S; Gonçalves, Yasmim G; Nunes, Débora C O; Napolitano, Danielle R; Maia, Pedro I S; Rodrigues, Renata S; Rodrigues, Veridiana M; Von Poelhsitz, Gustavo; Yoneyama, Kelly A G

    2017-10-01

    Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania. The many complications presented by the current treatment - including high toxicity, high cost and parasite resistance - make the development of new therapeutic agents indispensable. The present study aims to evaluate the anti-Leishmania potential of new ruthenium(II) complexes, cis‑[Ru II (η 2 -O 2 CR)(dppm) 2 ]PF 6 , with dppm=bis(diphenylphosphino)methane and R=4-butylbenzoate (bbato) 1, 4-(methylthio)benzoate (mtbato) 2 and 3-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzoate (hmxbato) 3, in promastigote cytotoxicity and their effect on parasite-host interaction. The cytotoxicity of complexes was analyzed by MTT assay against Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis, Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis, Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum promastigotes and the murine macrophage (RAW 264.7). The effect of complexes on parasite-host interaction was evaluated by in vitro infectivity assay performed in the presence of two different concentrations of each complex: the promastigote IC 50 value and the concentration nontoxic to 90% of RAW 264.7 macrophages. Complexes 1-3 exhibited potent cytotoxic activity against all Leishmania species assayed. The IC 50 values ranged from 7.52-12.59μM (complex 1); 0.70-3.28μM (complex 2) and 0.52-1.75μM (complex 3). All complexes significantly inhibited the infectivity index at both tested concentrations. The infectivity inhibitions ranged from 37 to 85%. Interestingly, the infectivity inhibitions due to complex action did not differ significantly at either of the tested concentrations, except for the complex 1 against Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum. The infectivity inhibitions resulted from reductions in both percentage of infected macrophages and number of parasites per macrophage. Taken together the results suggest remarkable leishmanicidal activity in vitro by these new ruthenium(II) complexes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Study of ionizing radiation as a tool for select promastigotes forms of Leishmania Amazonensis, and the megalomaniac response in experimental models; Estudo do uso da radiacao ionizante como ferramenta de selecao de formas promastigotas metaciclicas de Leishmania amazonensis, e a inducao de resposta imunologica em modelos experimentais

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bonetti, Franco Claudio

    2006-07-01

    Actually, millions of people around the globe are under the risk of infection by a protozoan transmitted by a bit of a sand fly. This parasite is a Leishmania spp. This causes a wide spectrum disease, since a cutaneous disease to a visceral one. The cutaneous form is the major clinical manifestation (above 90%). The ionizing radiation, produced in a {sup 60}Co font, had being successes used to promote physical-chemical transformations on different protozoan, including Leishmania spp. In previous work was determined that promastigotes forms of Leishmania amazonensis, irradiated with different doses of radiation, lost their viability maintaining, however, their immunogenicity. In this work, was studied the use of ionizing radiation as a tool for selection of meta cyclic forms of the parasite in axenic culture, for a possible efficient irradiated immuno gene production. Our results shown that cultures irradiated with 400 Gy of gamma irradiation, has 75% of metacyclic form, which are capable to produce, in vitro, an infection that is similar the natural occurrence. These irradiated parasites have their internal cellular structure modified, maintaining their external structure intact. Susceptible strain of mice immunized with leishmania irradiated with different doses had high immunoglobulin production, and maintained this production after the challenge with naive parasites. In other strains this default was similar, however in lower titles. Immunodeficient mice didn't produce immunoglobulin nor on the immunization or on the challenge. (author)

  7. Study of ionizing radiation as a tool for select promastigotes forms of Leishmania Amazonensis, and the megalomaniac response in experimental models; Estudo do uso da radiacao ionizante como ferramenta de selecao de formas promastigotas metaciclicas de Leishmania amazonensis, e a inducao de resposta imunologica em modelos experimentais

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bonetti, Franco Claudio

    2006-07-01

    Actually, millions of people around the globe are under the risk of infection by a protozoan transmitted by a bit of a sand fly. This parasite is a Leishmania spp. This causes a wide spectrum disease, since a cutaneous disease to a visceral one. The cutaneous form is the major clinical manifestation (above 90%). The ionizing radiation, produced in a {sup 60}Co font, had being successes used to promote physical-chemical transformations on different protozoan, including Leishmania spp. In previous work was determined that promastigotes forms of Leishmania amazonensis, irradiated with different doses of radiation, lost their viability maintaining, however, their immunogenicity. In this work, was studied the use of ionizing radiation as a tool for selection of meta cyclic forms of the parasite in axenic culture, for a possible efficient irradiated immuno gene production. Our results shown that cultures irradiated with 400 Gy of gamma irradiation, has 75% of metacyclic form, which are capable to produce, in vitro, an infection that is similar the natural occurrence. These irradiated parasites have their internal cellular structure modified, maintaining their external structure intact. Susceptible strain of mice immunized with leishmania irradiated with different doses had high immunoglobulin production, and maintained this production after the challenge with naive parasites. In other strains this default was similar, however in lower titles. Immunodeficient mice didn't produce immunoglobulin nor on the immunization or on the challenge. (author)

  8. High density of Leishmania major and rarity of other mammals' Leishmania in zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis foci, Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bordbar, Ali; Parvizi, Parviz

    2014-03-01

    Only Leishmania major is well known as a causative agent of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) in Iran. Our objective was to find Leishmania parasites circulating in reservoir hosts, sand flies and human simultaneously. Sand flies, rodents and prepared smears of humans were sampled. DNA of Leishmania parasites was extracted, and two fragments of ITS-rDNA gene amplified by PCR. RFLP and sequencing were employed to identify Leishmania parasites. Leishmania major and L. turanica were identified unequivocally by targeting and sequencing ITS-rDNA from humans, rodents and sand flies. The new Leishmania species close to gerbilli (GenBank Accession Nos. EF413076; EF413087) was discovered only in sand flies. Based on parasite detection of ITS-rDNA in main and potential reservoir hosts and vectors and humans, we conclude that at least two Leishmania species are common in the Turkmen Sahra ZCL focus. Phylogenetic analysis proved that the new Leishmania is closely related to Leishmania mammal parasites (Leishmania major, Leishmania turanica, Leishmania gerbilli). Its role as a principal agent of ZCL is unknown because it was found only in sand flies. Our findings shed new light on the transmission cycles of several Leishmania parasites in sand flies, reservoir hosts and humans. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. A high affinity Ca2(+)-ATPase on the surface membrane of Leishmania donovani promastigote

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghosh, J.; Ray, M.; Sarkar, S.; Bhaduri, A.

    1990-01-01

    A Ca2(+)-dependent ATP-hydrolytic activity was detected in the crude membrane ghost of the promastigote or vector form of the protozoal parasite Leishmania donovani, the pathogen responsible for kala azar. The Ca2(+)-ATPase was purified to apparent homogeneity after solubilization with deoxycholate. The enzyme consists of two subunits of Mr = 51,000 and 57,000 and has an apparent molecular weight of 215,000 +/- 12,000. The enzyme activity is exclusively dependent on Ca2+, and the pure enzyme can hydrolyze 1.6 mumol of ATP/min/mg of protein. The apparent Km for Ca2+ is 35 nM, which is further reduced to 12 nM in the presence of heterologous calmodulin. The enzyme is sensitive to vanadate, but is insensitive to oligomycin and ouabain. The enzyme is strongly associated with the plasma membrane and has its catalytic site oriented toward the cytoplasmic face. The enzyme spans across the plasma membrane as surface labeling with radioiodine shows considerable radioactivity in the completely purified enzyme. The localization and orientation of this high affinity, calmodulin-sensitive Ca2(+)-ATPase suggest some role of this enzyme in Ca2+ movement in the life cycle of this protozoal parasite

  10. A high affinity Ca2(+)-ATPase on the surface membrane of Leishmania donovani promastigote

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ghosh, J.; Ray, M.; Sarkar, S.; Bhaduri, A. (Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Calcutta (India))

    1990-07-05

    A Ca2(+)-dependent ATP-hydrolytic activity was detected in the crude membrane ghost of the promastigote or vector form of the protozoal parasite Leishmania donovani, the pathogen responsible for kala azar. The Ca2(+)-ATPase was purified to apparent homogeneity after solubilization with deoxycholate. The enzyme consists of two subunits of Mr = 51,000 and 57,000 and has an apparent molecular weight of 215,000 +/- 12,000. The enzyme activity is exclusively dependent on Ca2+, and the pure enzyme can hydrolyze 1.6 mumol of ATP/min/mg of protein. The apparent Km for Ca2+ is 35 nM, which is further reduced to 12 nM in the presence of heterologous calmodulin. The enzyme is sensitive to vanadate, but is insensitive to oligomycin and ouabain. The enzyme is strongly associated with the plasma membrane and has its catalytic site oriented toward the cytoplasmic face. The enzyme spans across the plasma membrane as surface labeling with radioiodine shows considerable radioactivity in the completely purified enzyme. The localization and orientation of this high affinity, calmodulin-sensitive Ca2(+)-ATPase suggest some role of this enzyme in Ca2+ movement in the life cycle of this protozoal parasite.

  11. Therapy of Venezuelan patients with severe mucocutaneous or early lesions of diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis with a vaccine containing pasteurized Leishmania promastigotes and bacillus Calmette-Guerin: preliminary report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacinto Convit

    2004-02-01

    Full Text Available Severe mucocutaneous (MCL and diffuse (DCL forms of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL are infrequent in Venezuela. Chemotherapy produces only transitory remission in DCL, and occasional treatment failures are observed in MCL. We have evaluated therapy with an experimental vaccine in patients with severe leishmaniasis. Four patients with MCL and 3 with early DCL were treated with monthly intradermal injections of a vaccine containing promastigotes of Leishmania (Viannia braziliensis killed by pasteurization and viable Bacillus Calmette- Guerin. Clinical and immunological responses were evaluated. Integrity of protein constituents in extracts of pasteurized promastigotes was evaluated by gel electrophoresis. Complete remission of lesions occurred after 5-9 injections in patients with MCL or 7-10 injections in patients with early DCL. DCL patients developed positive skin reactions, average size 18.7 mm. All have been free of active lesions for at least 10 months. Adverse effects of the vaccine were limited to local reactivity to BCG at the injection sites and fever in 2 patients. Extracts of pasteurized and fresh promastigotes did not reveal differences in the integrity of protein components detectable by gel electrophoresis. Immunotherapy with this modified vaccine offers an effective, safe option for the treatment of patients who do not respond to immunotherapy with vaccine containing autoclaved parasites or to chemotherapy .

  12. Study of the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of attenuated and killed Leishmania (Leishmania major vaccines in a rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta model of the human disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    VF Amaral

    2002-10-01

    Full Text Available We have compared the efficacy of two Leishmania (Leishmania major vaccines, one genetically attenuated (DHFR-TS deficient organisms, the other inactivated [autoclaved promastigotes (ALM with bacillus Calmete-Guérin (BCG], in protecting rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta against infection with virulent L. (L. major. Positive antigen-specific recall proliferative response was observed in vaccinees (79% in attenuated parasite-vaccinated monkeys, versus 75% in ALM-plus-BCG-vaccinated animals, although none of these animals exhibited either augmented in vitro gamma interferon (IFN-g production or positive delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH response to the leishmanin skin test prior to the challenge. Following challenge, there were significant differences in blastogenic responses (p < 0.05 between attenuated-vaccinated monkeys and naïve controls. In both vaccinated groups very low levels of antibody were found before challenge, which increased after infective challenge. Protective immunity did not follow vaccination, in that monkeys exhibited skin lesion at the site of challenge in all the groups. The most striking result was the lack of pathogenicity of the attenuated parasite, which persisted in infected animals for up to three months, but were incapable of causing disease under the conditions employed. We concluded that both vaccine protocols used in this study are safe in primates, but require further improvement for vaccine application.

  13. Efficacy of Recombinant Canine Distemper Virus Expressing Leishmania Antigen against Leishmania Challenge in Dogs.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryuichi Miura

    Full Text Available Canine distemper virus (CDV vaccination confers long-term protection against CDV reinfection. To investigate the utility of CDV as a polyvalent vaccine vector for Leishmania, we generated recombinant CDVs, based on an avirulent Yanaka strain, that expressed Leishmania antigens: LACK, TSA, or LmSTI1 (rCDV-LACK, rCDV-TSA, and rCDV-LmSTI1, respectively. Dogs immunized with rCDV-LACK were protected against challenge with lethal doses of virulent CDV, in the same way as the parental Yanaka strain. To evaluate the protective effects of the recombinant CDVs against cutaneous leishmaniasis in dogs, dogs were immunized with one recombinant CDV or a cocktail of three recombinant CDVs, before intradermal challenge (in the ears with infective-stage promastigotes of Leishmania major. Unvaccinated dogs showed increased nodules with ulcer formation after 3 weeks, whereas dogs immunized with rCDV-LACK showed markedly smaller nodules without ulceration. Although the rCDV-TSA- and rCDV-LmSTI1-immunized dogs showed little protection against L. major, the cocktail of three recombinant CDVs more effectively suppressed the progression of nodule formation than immunization with rCDV-LACK alone. These results indicate that recombinant CDV is suitable for use as a polyvalent live attenuated vaccine for protection against both CDV and L. major infections in dogs.

  14. In vitro activity of the beta-carboline alkaloids harmane, harmine, and harmaline toward parasites of the species Leishmania infantum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Giorgio, C; Delmas, F; Ollivier, E; Elias, R; Balansard, G; Timon-David, P

    2004-01-01

    Harmane, harmine, and harmaline were investigated for their in vitro antileishmanial activity toward parasites of the species Leishmania infantum. Harmane and Harmine displayed a moderate antiproliferative activity toward human monocytes and exerted a weak antileishmanial activity toward both the promastigote and the amastigote forms of the parasite. Their mechanism of action on the promastigote form of the parasite involved interactions with DNA metabolism leading to an accumulation of parasites in the S-G(2)M phases of the cell-cycle. Harmaline, at the contrary, was deprived from toxicity toward human cells and Leishmania promastigotes, however it exerted a strong antileishmanial activity toward the intracellular amastigote form of the parasite. This property was shown to partly result from the capacity of the molecule to prevent parasite internalization within macrophages by inhibiting Leishmania PKC activity.

  15. Transcriptomic signature of Leishmania infected mice macrophages: a metabolic point of view.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Imen Rabhi

    Full Text Available We analyzed the transcriptional signatures of mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages at different times after infection with promastigotes of the protozoan parasite Leishmania major. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis revealed that the macrophage metabolic pathways including carbohydrate and lipid metabolisms were among the most altered pathways at later time points of infection. Indeed, L. major promastiogtes induced increased mRNA levels of the glucose transporter and almost all of the genes associated with glycolysis and lactate dehydrogenase, suggesting a shift to anaerobic glycolysis. On the other hand, L. major promastigotes enhanced the expression of scavenger receptors involved in the uptake of Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL, inhibited the expression of genes coding for proteins regulating cholesterol efflux, and induced the synthesis of triacylglycerides. These data suggested that Leishmania infection disturbs cholesterol and triglycerides homeostasis and may lead to cholesterol accumulation and foam cell formation. Using Filipin and Bodipy staining, we showed cholesterol and triglycerides accumulation in infected macrophages. Moreover, Bodipy-positive lipid droplets accumulated in close proximity to parasitophorous vacuoles, suggesting that intracellular L. major may take advantage of these organelles as high-energy substrate sources. While the effect of infection on cholesterol accumulation and lipid droplet formation was independent on parasite development, our data indicate that anaerobic glycolysis is actively induced by L. major during the establishment of infection.

  16. Monocyte-Derived Signals Activate Human Natural Killer Cells in Response to Leishmania Parasites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Messlinger, Helena; Sebald, Heidi; Heger, Lukas; Dudziak, Diana; Bogdan, Christian; Schleicher, Ulrike

    2018-01-01

    Activated natural killer (NK) cells release interferon (IFN)-γ, which is crucial for the control of intracellular pathogens such as Leishmania. In contrast to experimental murine leishmaniasis, the human NK cell response to Leishmania is still poorly characterized. Here, we investigated the interaction of human blood NK cells with promastigotes of different Leishmania species (Leishmania major, Leishmania mexicana, Leishmania infantum, and Leishmania donovani). When peripheral blood mononuclear cells or purified NK cells and monocytes (all derived from healthy blood donors from Germany without a history of leishmaniasis) were exposed to promastigotes, NK cells showed increased surface expression of the activation marker CD69. The extent of this effect varied depending on the Leishmania species; differences between dermotropic and viscerotropic L. infantum strains were not observed. Upregulation of CD69 required direct contact between monocytes and Leishmania and was partly inhibitable by anti-interleukin (IL)-18. Unexpectedly, IL-18 was undetectable in most of the supernatants (SNs) of monocyte/parasite cocultures. Confocal fluorescence microscopy of non-permeabilized cells revealed that Leishmania-infected monocytes trans-presented IL-18 to NK cells. Native, but not heat-treated SNs of monocyte/Leishmania cocultures also induced CD69 on NK cells, indicating the involvement of a soluble heat-labile factor other than IL-18. A role for the NK cell-activating cytokines IL-1β, IL-2, IL-12, IL-15, IL-21, and IFN-α/β was excluded. The increase of CD69 was not paralleled by NK cell IFN-γ production or enhanced cytotoxicity. However, prior exposure of NK cells to Leishmania parasites synergistically increased their IFN-γ release in response to IL-12, which was dependent on endogenous IL-18. CD1c+ dendritic cells were identified as possible source of Leishmania-induced IL-12. Finally, we observed that direct contact between Leishmania and NK cells reduced the

  17. Monocyte-Derived Signals Activate Human Natural Killer Cells in Response to Leishmania Parasites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helena Messlinger

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Activated natural killer (NK cells release interferon (IFN-γ, which is crucial for the control of intracellular pathogens such as Leishmania. In contrast to experimental murine leishmaniasis, the human NK cell response to Leishmania is still poorly characterized. Here, we investigated the interaction of human blood NK cells with promastigotes of different Leishmania species (Leishmania major, Leishmania mexicana, Leishmania infantum, and Leishmania donovani. When peripheral blood mononuclear cells or purified NK cells and monocytes (all derived from healthy blood donors from Germany without a history of leishmaniasis were exposed to promastigotes, NK cells showed increased surface expression of the activation marker CD69. The extent of this effect varied depending on the Leishmania species; differences between dermotropic and viscerotropic L. infantum strains were not observed. Upregulation of CD69 required direct contact between monocytes and Leishmania and was partly inhibitable by anti-interleukin (IL-18. Unexpectedly, IL-18 was undetectable in most of the supernatants (SNs of monocyte/parasite cocultures. Confocal fluorescence microscopy of non-permeabilized cells revealed that Leishmania-infected monocytes trans-presented IL-18 to NK cells. Native, but not heat-treated SNs of monocyte/Leishmania cocultures also induced CD69 on NK cells, indicating the involvement of a soluble heat-labile factor other than IL-18. A role for the NK cell-activating cytokines IL-1β, IL-2, IL-12, IL-15, IL-21, and IFN-α/β was excluded. The increase of CD69 was not paralleled by NK cell IFN-γ production or enhanced cytotoxicity. However, prior exposure of NK cells to Leishmania parasites synergistically increased their IFN-γ release in response to IL-12, which was dependent on endogenous IL-18. CD1c+ dendritic cells were identified as possible source of Leishmania-induced IL-12. Finally, we observed that direct contact between Leishmania and NK cells

  18. Peptone-yeast autolysate-fetal bovine serum 10, a simple, inexpensive liquid medium for cultivation of Leishmania spp.

    OpenAIRE

    Palomino, J C

    1982-01-01

    A simple liquid medium for the cultivation of Leishmania parasites is described. Leishmania brasiliensis and Leishmania peruviana cultured in this medium reached cell densities greater than 10(7) promastigotes per ml within 7 days. This medium compares very favorably with the more complex media used to cultivate Leishmania spp. and other hemoflagellates.

  19. Efficacy of the photodynamic antimicrobial therapy (PACT) with the use of methylene blue associated with the λ660nm laser in Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonesis: in vitro study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pires-Santos, Gustavo M.; Marques, Aparecida M. C.; Alves, Eliomara S. S.; Oliveira, Susana C. P. S.; Monteiro, Juliana S. C.; Rosa, Cristiane B.; Colombo, Fabio; Pinheiro, Antônio L. B.; Vannier-Santos, Marcos A.

    2012-03-01

    The present studied evaluated the in vitro effects of PDT on Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis promastigotes. For this examination L. amazonensis promastigotes, stain Josefa, were used and maintained in Warren media supplement with fetal bovine serum at 26°C for 96 hours. A viability curve was accomplished using different concentrations of methylene blue photosensitizer associated to red laser light in order to obtain the most effective interaction to inhibit the parasite's growth. Two pre-irradiation periods, 5 and 30 minutes, were evaluated and the promastigotes were counted by colorimetry. On fluorescence microscopy the autophagic processes and reactive oxygen species were detected. Promastigotes treated with Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) by concentrations of 5 and 0,315ug/mL, presented cellular proliferation inhibition when compared to the control. In the first condition, the cells had structural alterations such as truncated cells, cells with two flagella, bleb formation and cells body deformation, while none of these modifications could be visualized in the control group. When analyzed through fluorescence microscopy, the promastigotes treated were positives for free radicals immediately after light application and also 1 hour after treatment presenting signs of autophagia. PDT on L. (L.) amazonensis is effective causing alterations that can help elucidate the mechanisms of the parasite's death when treated with methilene

  20. Genome sequencing of the lizard parasite Leishmania tarentolae reveals loss of genes associated to the intracellular stage of human pathogenic species

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raymond, Frédéric; Boisvert, Sébastien; Roy, Gaétan; Ritt, Jean-François; Légaré, Danielle; Isnard, Amandine; Stanke, Mario; Olivier, Martin; Tremblay, Michel J.; Papadopoulou, Barbara; Ouellette, Marc; Corbeil, Jacques

    2012-01-01

    The Leishmania tarentolae Parrot-TarII strain genome sequence was resolved to an average 16-fold mean coverage by next-generation DNA sequencing technologies. This is the first non-pathogenic to humans kinetoplastid protozoan genome to be described thus providing an opportunity for comparison with the completed genomes of pathogenic Leishmania species. A high synteny was observed between all sequenced Leishmania species. A limited number of chromosomal regions diverged between L. tarentolae and L. infantum, while remaining syntenic to L. major. Globally, >90% of the L. tarentolae gene content was shared with the other Leishmania species. We identified 95 predicted coding sequences unique to L. tarentolae and 250 genes that were absent from L. tarentolae. Interestingly, many of the latter genes were expressed in the intracellular amastigote stage of pathogenic species. In addition, genes coding for products involved in antioxidant defence or participating in vesicular-mediated protein transport were underrepresented in L. tarentolae. In contrast to other Leishmania genomes, two gene families were expanded in L. tarentolae, namely the zinc metallo-peptidase surface glycoprotein GP63 and the promastigote surface antigen PSA31C. Overall, L. tarentolae's gene content appears better adapted to the promastigote insect stage rather than the amastigote mammalian stage. PMID:21998295

  1. Evaluation of photodynamic antimicrobial therapy (PACT) against promastigotes form of the Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis: in vitro study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barbosa, Artur F. S.; Sangiorgi, Bruno B.; Galdino, Suely L.; Pitta, Ivan R.; Barral Netto, Manoel; Correia, Neandder A.; Pinheiro, Antônio L. B.

    2012-03-01

    Leishmaniasis is a complex disease that affects more than 12 million people in 88 countries worldwide. Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis is the most common species in the Americas and the most important causative agent of cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis in Brazil. The therapeutic arsenal routinely employed to treat patients with leishmaniasis is limited and unsatisfactory. For cutaneous leishmaniasis, pentavalent antimonials are the first line therapeutic scheme recommended by the WHO. These compounds are highly toxic, poorly tolerated and their effectiveness highly variable. In this work, a technique with, so far, an unknown disadvantage is discussed. The aim of this study was to verify the effectiveness of PACT in vitro, as a new technique for the treatment of Leishmaniasis. For this, semiconductor laser (λ = 660nm, 40mW, 4.2J/cm2, CW) associated to phenothiazine's derivatives (5 and 10 μg/ml, TBO, Methylene Blue or Phenothiazine) on the promastigotes form of Leishmania braziliensis in a single session was used. Viability of the parasites was assessed in quadruplicates of each group. The samples were removed and analyzed in a hemocytometer 72h after PACT. We found an important decrease in the number of viable parasites on all treated groups in comparison to their controls. The results of present study showed significant percentage of lethality (above 95%) of the protocol. The 99.23% of lethality was achieved with 10 μg/ml of TBO. No lethality was seen on groups treated neither with laser nor with each compounds separately. The results are promising and indicative that the use of PACT may be a powerful treatment of leishmaniasis when compared to already available ones.

  2. Ergosterone-coupled Triazol molecules trigger mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and acidocalcisomal Ca2+ release in Leishmania mexicana promastigotes

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    Figarella K

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The protozoan parasite Leishmania causes a variety of sicknesses with different clinical manifestations known as leishmaniasis. The chemotherapy currently in use is not adequate because of their side effects, resistance occurrence, and recurrences. Investigations looking for new targets or new active molecules focus mainly on the disruption of parasite specific pathways. In this sense, ergosterol biosynthesis is one of the most attractive because it does not occur in mammals. Here, we report the synthesis of ergosterone coupled molecules and the characterization of their biological activity on Leishmania mexicana promastigotes. Molecule synthesis involved three steps: ergosterone formation using Jones oxidation, synthesis of Girard reagents, and coupling reaction. All compounds were obtained in good yield and high purity. Results show that ergosterone-triazol molecules (Erg-GTr and Erg-GTr2 exhibit an antiproliferative effect in low micromolar range with a selectivity index ~10 when compared to human dermic fibroblasts. Addition of Erg-GTr or Erg-GTr2 to parasites led to a rapid [Ca2+]cyt increase and acidocalcisomes alkalinization, indicating that Ca2+ was released from this organelle. Evaluation of cell death markers revealed some apoptosis-like indicators, as phosphatidylserine exposure, DNA damage, and cytosolic vacuolization and autophagy exacerbation. Furthermore, mitochondrion hyperpolarization and superoxide production increase were detected already 6 hours after drug addition, denoting that oxidative stress is implicated in triggering the observed phenotype. Taken together our results indicate that ergosterone-triazol coupled molecules induce a regulated cell death process in the parasite and may represent starting point molecules in the search of new chemotherapeutic agents to combat leishmaniasis.

  3. Application of the microscopic method in cutaneous leishmania diagnosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammed Wael Daboul

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Cutaneous leishmania is spreading fast. This study aims at developing the microscopic method to achieve a full detection of all positive cases of leishmania.Methods: 50 human cases have been studied by applying microscopic smears stained with Wright stain. Microscopic photos were taken for the presumed unfamiliar figures.Results: Mononuclear cells with tails are present at a rate of (98%. They are associated with Leishman Donovan (LD bodies in 50% of the cases. The polygonal figures and the spherical forms are present at the same rate (60% and are associated with LD bodies in 24% of the cases. The small promastigote like forms are seen at a rate of (76% and are associated with LD bodies in 26% of the cases. The giant promastigotes like forms are present in (80% of the cases and are associated with LD bodies in 28% of the cases. Candle flame forms are present in (40% of the cases and are associated with the LD bodies in 21% of the cases.Discussion: It is applicable to use those discovered figures in diagnosing cutaneous leishmania.

  4. Combined effect of the essential oil from Chenopodium ambrosioides and antileishmanial drugs on promastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis Efeito combinado do óleo de essência de Chenopodium ambrosioides e drogas anti-leishmaniose nos promastigotas de Leishmania amazonensis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lianet Monzote

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available To date, there are no vaccines against Leishmania, and chemotherapy remains the mainstay for the control of leishmaniasis. The drugs of choice used for leishmaniasis therapy are significantly toxic, expensive and with a growing frequency of refractory infections. Because of these limitations, a combination therapy is the better hope. This work demonstrates that the essential oil from Chenopodium ambrosioides shows a synergic activity after incubation in conjunction with pentamidine against promastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis. However, an indifferent effect has been found for combinations of meglumine antimoniate or amphotericin B and the essential oil.Até hoje não temos vacina contra a Leishmania e a quimioterapia é a indicação para o controle desta doença. Os remédios que hoje utilizamos são tóxicos e muito caros e além disso o resultado não é sempre o desejado. Por isso, uma terapia de combinação é a melhor opção. Este trabalho mostra que o óleo de essência de C. ambrosioides tem atividade sinérgica junto com a pentamidina sobre os promastigotas de L. amazonensis, diferente do resultado da combinação de antimônio de meglumine e anfotericina B e o óleo de essência.

  5. In vitro anti-leishmania evaluation of nickel complexes with a triazolopyrimidine derivative against Leishmania infantum and Leishmania braziliensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramírez-Macías, Inmaculada; Maldonado, Carmen R; Marín, Clotilde; Olmo, Francisco; Gutiérrez-Sánchez, Ramón; Rosales, María J; Quirós, Miguel; Salas, Juan M; Sánchez-Moreno, Manuel

    2012-07-01

    Studies on the anti-proliferative activity in vitro of seven ternary nickel (II) complexes with a triazolopyrimidine derivative and different aliphatic or aromatic amines as auxiliary ligands against promastigote and amastigote forms of Leishmania infantum and Leishmania braziliensis have been carried out. These compounds are not toxic for the host cells and two of them are effective at lower concentrations than the reference drug used in the present study (Glucantime). In general, the in vitro growth rate of Leishmania spp. was reduced, its capacity to infect cells was negatively affected and the multiplication of the amastigotes decreased. Ultrastructural analysis and metabolism excretion studies were executed in order to propose a possible mechanism for the action of the assayed compounds. Our results show that the potential mechanism is at the level of organelles membranes, either by direct action on the microtubules or by their disorganization, leading to vacuolization, degradation and ultimately cell death. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Susceptibility of spiny rats (Proechimys semispinosus to Leishmania (Viannia panamensis and Leishmania (Leishmania chagasi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    BL Travi

    2002-09-01

    Full Text Available The role of Proechimys semispinosus as reservoir of Leishmania (Viannia panamensis on the Colombian Pacific coast was experimentally evaluated. The susceptibility to L. chagasi also was assessed to determine the utility of this rodent as a model for studying reservoir characteristics in the laboratory. Wild-caught animals were screened for natural trypanosomatid infections, and negative individuals were inoculated intradermally (ID in the snout or feet with 10(7 promastigotes of L. panamensis. L. chagasi was inoculated intracardially (10(7 promastigotes or ID in the ear (10(8 promastigotes. PCR-hybridization showed that 15% of 33 spiny rats were naturally infected with L. Viannia sp. Animals experimentally infected with L. panamensis developed non-ulcerated lesions that disappeared by the 7th week post-infection (p.i. and became more resistant upon reinfection. Infectivity to sand flies was low (1/20-1/48 infected/fed flies and transient, and both culture and PCR-hybridization showed that L. panamensis was cleared by the 13th week p.i. Animals inoculated with L. chagasi became subclinically infected and were non-infective to sand flies. Transient infectivity to vectors of spiny rats infected with L. panamensis, combined with population characteristics, e.g., abundance, exploitation of degraded habitats and high reproductive rates, could make them epidemiologically suitable reservoirs.

  7. Intracellular zinc flux causes reactive oxygen species mediated mitochondrial dysfunction leading to cell death in Leishmania donovani.

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    Anjali Kumari

    Full Text Available Leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania parasite is a global threat to public health and one of the most neglected tropical diseases. Therefore, the discovery of novel drug targets and effective drug is a major challenge and an important goal. Leishmania is an obligate intracellular parasite that alternates between sand fly and human host. To survive and establish infections, Leishmania parasites scavenge and internalize nutrients from the host. Nevertheless, host cells presents mechanism like nutrient restriction to inhibit microbial growth and control infection. Zinc is crucial for cellular growth and disruption in its homeostasis hinders growth and survival in many cells. However, little is known about the role of zinc in Leishmania growth and survival. In this study, the effect of zinc on the growth and survival of L.donovani was analyzed by both Zinc-depletion and Zinc-supplementation using Zinc-specific chelator N, N, N', N'-tetrakis (2-pyridylmethyl ethylenediamine (TPEN and Zinc Sulfate (ZnSO4. Treatment of parasites with TPEN rather than ZnSO4 had significantly affected the growth in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The pre-treatment of promastigotes with TPEN resulted into reduced host-parasite interaction as indicated by decreased association index. Zn depletion resulted into flux in intracellular labile Zn pool and increased in ROS generation correlated with decreased intracellular total thiol and retention of plasma membrane integrity without phosphatidylserine exposure in TPEN treated promastigotes. We also observed that TPEN-induced Zn depletion resulted into collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential which is associated with increase in cytosolic calcium and cytochrome-c. DNA fragmentation analysis showed increased DNA fragments in Zn-depleted cells. In summary, intracellular Zn depletion in the L. donovani promastigotes led to ROS-mediated caspase-independent mitochondrial dysfunction resulting into apoptosis-like cell death

  8. LR1: a candidate RNA virus of Leishmania.

    OpenAIRE

    Tarr, P I; Aline, R F; Smiley, B L; Scholler, J; Keithly, J; Stuart, K

    1988-01-01

    Although viruses are important biological agents and useful molecular tools, little is known about the viruses of parasites. We report here the discovery of a candidate for an RNA virus in a kinetoplastid parasite. This potential virus, which we term LR1, is present in the promastigote form of the human pathogen Leishmania braziliensis guyanensis CUMC1-1A but not in 11 other stocks of Leishmania that were examined nor in Trypanosoma brucei. The candidate viral RNA has a size of approximately ...

  9. DDA/TDB liposomes containing soluble Leishmania major antigens induced a mixed Th1/Th2 immune response in BALB/c mice

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    Mansure Hojatizade

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective(s: Leishmaniasis is a complex parasitic disease that represents a major public health problem. Despite numerous attempts over the past decades, yet there is no effective vaccine against human leishmaniasis probably due to the lack of suitable adjuvants. In this study, a first generation liposomal-based Leishmania vaccine was developed using soluble Leishmania major antigens (SLA and á, Ü-trehalose6, 6'-dibehenat (TDB as an immunostimulatory adjuvant. In this liposome structure, the cationic lipid Dimethyldioctadecylammonium (DDA provides intrinsic adjuvant activity and cholesterol was added as a membrane stabilizer. Liposomes containing SLA were prepared.Materials and Methods: BALB/c mice were subcutaneously (sc immunized with Lip (DDA/TDB/CHOL-SLA+, Lip (DDA/TDB-SLA+, Lip (DDA-SLA+, Lip (DDA/CHOL-SLA+, SLA or Tris-HCl buffer. Immunization was done every two weeks for three weeks. The immunized mice were then challenged sc in the left footpad with 1×106 stationary phase L. major promastigotes (50 ìl, at 2 weeks after last booster injection.Results: mice immunized with any of the liposomal formulations containing SLA (Lip-SLA+, substantially increased footpad swelling and parasite loads of foot and spleen with no significant difference compared to Tris-HCl buffer or SLA alone. Lip-SLA+ formulations induced a mixed Th1/Th2 immune response characterized by IFN-ã and IL-4 production as well as high levels of IgG1 anti-Leishmania antibody. Conclusion: immunization with liposomes containing DDA and/or TDB in combination with SLA induces a mixed Th1/Th2 immune response and is not an appropriate strategy for preferential induction of a Th1 response and protection against leishmaniasis.

  10. In Vitro Study on effects of Amiodarone and Ketoconazole on Leishmania infantum

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    Mohammad Hosein Razi Jalali

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Background & objectives: The leishmaniases are considered among the major infectious diseases affecting public health in several regions. There are many chemical agents which are effective in treatment of visceral leishmaniasis. But, overall treatment of visceral leishmaniasis is often difficult. Thus, identification of new chemotherapeutic agents is important for treatment of disease. Since targeting of the ergosterol synthesis pathway of Leishmania may be useful therapeutically, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of alone or in combination of amiodarone and ketoconazole on Leishmania infantum.   Methods : To obtain logarithmic promastigotes of L. infantum, the parasites were cultured in BHI medium with FCS 10% together with antibiotics of penicillin and streptomycin and incubated at 24° C. Amastigote forms were obtained in BHI medium supplemented with 20% FCS at pH of 5.5 which incubated in 37° C. L.infantum susceptibility to amiodarone and ketoconazole was evaluated by proliferation of parasites in the absence or presence of these drugs with MTT assay. For evaluation of antiproliferative synergism against promastigotes and axenic amastigotes, fractional inhibitory concentrations (FIC were calculated. An isobologram curve was constructed too.   Results: Amiodarone produced a marked reduction in the viability of L.infantum promastigotes and axenic amastigotes. On the other hand ketoconazole induced a dose dependent effect on the parasites proliferation for promastigotes and axenic amastigotes. When the drugs were used in combination, the results indicated clear synergistic as shown by a concave isobologram and FIC value.   Conclusion: The present study represents the evidence that the combination of amiodarone plus ketoconazole acts synergistically in controlling L. infantume in vitro. It is possible that amiodarone could be used in combination with ketoconazole to combat infection at low doses, thus reducing its side

  11. ATG5 is essential for ATG8-dependent autophagy and mitochondrial homeostasis in Leishmania major.

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    Roderick A M Williams

    Full Text Available Macroautophagy has been shown to be important for the cellular remodelling required for Leishmania differentiation. We now demonstrate that L. major contains a functional ATG12-ATG5 conjugation system, which is required for ATG8-dependent autophagosome formation. Nascent autophagosomes were found commonly associated with the mitochondrion. L. major mutants lacking ATG5 (Δatg5 were viable as promastigotes but were unable to form autophagosomes, had morphological abnormalities including a much reduced flagellum, were less able to differentiate and had greatly reduced virulence to macrophages and mice. Analyses of the lipid metabolome of Δatg5 revealed marked elevation of phosphatidylethanolamines (PE in comparison to wild type parasites. The Δatg5 mutants also had increased mitochondrial mass but reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and higher levels of reactive oxygen species. These findings indicate that the lack of ATG5 and autophagy leads to perturbation of the phospholipid balance in the mitochondrion, possibly through ablation of membrane use and conjugation of mitochondrial PE to ATG8 for autophagosome biogenesis, resulting in a dysfunctional mitochondrion with impaired oxidative ability and energy generation. The overall result of this is reduced virulence.

  12. Gamma radiation affects the anti-Leishmania activity of Bothrops moojeni venom and correlates with L-amino acid oxidase activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tempone, A.G.; Lourenco, C.O.; Spencer, P.J.; Rogero, J.R.; Nascimento, N.; Andrade Junior, H.F.

    1999-01-01

    Leishmania causes human disfiguring skin disease in endemic areas of Amazon and North Eastern Brazil. Those parasites present a remarkable resistance to most treatments, except those using toxic antimonial salts. We detected a specific anti-Leishmania activity in snake venoms, using an in vitro promastigote assay. In this report, we analyzed the activity of Bothrops moojeni venom against L. Amazonensis, using whole venom or fractions of L-amino acid oxidase (L-AO). Crude venom of B.moojeni, was fractionated by molecular exclusion chromatography. Activity against promastigotes was detected by respiratory oxidative conversion of MTT in a colorimetric assay and L-AO activity was detected by a colorimetric assay with peroxidase and OPD as revealing reagents. Crude venom was irradiated with 500, 1000, and 2000 Gy in a 60 Co gamma radiation source. The venom had an anti-Leishmania activity of 33 pg/promastigote and the active fraction migrates as 100-150 kDa, close to the size described for L-AOs, and also presented L-AO activity. The radiation reduces both the L-AO and anti-Leishmania activity in a dose dependent effect. Those data suggests the anti-Leishmania activity in this venom is closely related to the L-amino acid oxidase activity and also that radiation could be used as a tool to detect specific activities reduction in water solutions, similarly to observed in dry preparations. (author)

  13. Using Proteomics to Understand How Leishmania Parasites Survive inside the Host and Establish Infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veras, Patrícia Sampaio Tavares; Bezerra de Menezes, Juliana Perrone

    2016-08-19

    Leishmania is a protozoan parasite that causes a wide range of different clinical manifestations in mammalian hosts. It is a major public health risk on different continents and represents one of the most important neglected diseases. Due to the high toxicity of the drugs currently used, and in the light of increasing drug resistance, there is a critical need to develop new drugs and vaccines to control Leishmania infection. Over the past few years, proteomics has become an important tool to understand the underlying biology of Leishmania parasites and host interaction. The large-scale study of proteins, both in parasites and within the host in response to infection, can accelerate the discovery of new therapeutic targets. By studying the proteomes of host cells and tissues infected with Leishmania, as well as changes in protein profiles among promastigotes and amastigotes, scientists hope to better understand the biology involved in the parasite survival and the host-parasite interaction. This review demonstrates the feasibility of proteomics as an approach to identify new proteins involved in Leishmania differentiation and intracellular survival.

  14. Studies on Stibanate unresponsive isolates of Leishmania donovani

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Unknown

    503. Keywords. Drug resistance; Leishmania donovani; sodium stibogluconate; visceral leishmaniasis ... cases to less than 5% in treated ones (Zuckerman and. Lainson 1977). Later on .... Effect of Stibanate on in vitro growth of Ag83 promastigotes. (A) Virulent .... In rural areas where health care facilities are not adequate ...

  15. Genetic Manipulation of Leishmania donovani to Explore the Involvement of Argininosuccinate Synthase in Oxidative Stress Management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sardar, Abul Hasan; Jardim, Armando; Ghosh, Ayan Kumar; Mandal, Abhishek; Das, Sushmita; Saini, Savita; Abhishek, Kumar; Singh, Ruby; Verma, Sudha; Kumar, Ajay; Das, Pradeep

    2016-01-01

    Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS) produced by the phagocytic cells are the most common arsenals used to kill the intracellular pathogens. However, Leishmania, an intracellular pathogen, has evolved mechanisms to survive by counterbalancing the toxic oxygen metabolites produced during infection. Polyamines, the major contributor in this anti-oxidant machinery, are largely dependent on the availability of L-arginine in the intracellular milieu. Argininosuccinate synthase (ASS) plays an important role as the rate-limiting step required for converting L-citrulline to argininosuccinate to provide arginine for an assortment of metabolic processes. Leishmania produce an active ASS enzyme, yet it has an incomplete urea cycle as it lacks an argininosuccinate lyase (ASL). There is no evidence for endogenous synthesis of L-arginine in Leishmania, which suggests that these parasites salvage L-arginine from extracellular milieu and makes the biological function of ASS and the production of argininosuccinate in Leishmania unclear. Our previous quantitative proteomic analysis of Leishmania promastigotes treated with sub-lethal doses of ROS, RNS, or a combination of both, led to the identification of several differentially expressed proteins which included ASS. To assess the involvement of ASS in stress management, a mutant cell line with greatly reduced ASS activity was created by a double-targeted gene replacement strategy in L. donovani promastigote. Interestingly, LdASS is encoded by three copies of allele, but Western blot analysis showed the third allele did not appear to express ASS. The free thiol levels in the mutant LdASS-/-/+ cell line were decreased. Furthermore, the cell viability in L-arginine depleted medium was greatly attenuated on exposure to different stress environments and was adversely impacted in its ability to infect mice. These findings suggest that ASS is important for Leishmania donovani to counterbalance the stressed environments

  16. In vitro cytocidal effects of the essential oil from Croton cajucara (red sacaca) and its major constituent 7- hydroxycalamenene against Leishmania chagasi

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background Visceral leishmaniasis is the most serious form of leishmaniasis and can be lethal if left untreated. Currently available treatments for these parasitic diseases are frequently associated to severe side effects. The leaves of Croton cajucara are used as an infusion in popular medicine to combat several diseases. Previous studies have demonstrated that the linalool-rich essential oil from C. cajucara (white sacaca) is extremely efficient against the tegumentary specie Leishmania amazonensis. In this study, we investigated the effects of the 7-hydroxycalamenene-rich essential oil from the leaves of C. cajucara (red sacaca) against Leishmania chagasi, as well as on the interaction of these parasites with host cells. Methods Promastigotes were treated with different concentrations of the essential oil for determination of its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). In addition, the effects of the essential oil on parasite ultrastructure were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. To evaluate its efficacy against infected cells, mouse peritoneal macrophages infected with L. chagasi promastigotes were treated with the inhibitory and sub-inhibitory concentrations of the essential oil. Results The minimum inhibitory concentrations of the essential oil and its purified component 7-hydroxycalamenene against L. chagasi were 250 and 15.6 μg/mL, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed important nuclear and kinetoplastic alterations in L. chagasi promastigotes. Pre-treatment of macrophages and parasites with the essential oil reduced parasite/macrophage interaction by 52.8%, while it increased the production of nitric oxide by L. chagasi-infected macrophages by 80%. Conclusion These results indicate that the 7-hydroxycalamenene-rich essential oil from C. cajucara is a promising source of leishmanicidal compounds. PMID:24088644

  17. Benzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone derived from limonene complexed with copper induced mitochondrial dysfunction in Leishmania amazonensis.

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    Elizandra Aparecida Britta

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Leishmaniasis is a major health problem that affects more than 12 million people. Treatment presents several problems, including high toxicity and many adverse effects, leading to the discontinuation of treatment and emergence of resistant strains. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We evaluated the in vitro antileishmanial activity of benzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone derived from limonene complexed with copper, termed BenzCo, against Leishmania amazonensis. BenzCo inhibited the growth of the promastigote and axenic amastigote forms, with IC(50 concentrations of 3.8 and 9.5 µM, respectively, with 72 h of incubation. Intracellular amastigotes were inhibited by the compound, with an IC(50 of 10.7 µM. BenzCo altered the shape, size, and ultrastructure of the parasites. Mitochondrial membrane depolarization was observed in protozoa treated with BenzCo but caused no alterations in the plasma membrane. Additionally, BenzCo induced lipoperoxidation and the production of mitochondrial superoxide anion radicals in promastigotes and axenic amastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our studies indicated that the antileishmania activity of BenzCo might be associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative damage, leading to parasite death.

  18. Recognition of Leishmania antigens by T lymphocytes from nonexposed individuals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kemp, M; Hansen, M B; Theander, T G

    1992-01-01

    Crude antigen preparations of Leishmania promastigote sonicates were found to induce in vitro proliferation and gamma interferon production in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from individuals without known exposure to the parasite. The proliferating cells were mainly CD2-positive T cell...

  19. The mating competence of geographically diverse Leishmania major strains in their natural and unnatural sand fly vectors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inbar, Ehud; Akopyants, Natalia S; Charmoy, Melanie; Romano, Audrey; Lawyer, Phillip; Elnaiem, Dia-Eldin A; Kauffmann, Florence; Barhoumi, Mourad; Grigg, Michael; Owens, Katherine; Fay, Michael; Dobson, Deborah E; Shaik, Jahangheer; Beverley, Stephen M; Sacks, David

    2013-01-01

    Invertebrate stages of Leishmania are capable of genetic exchange during their extracellular growth and development in the sand fly vector. Here we explore two variables: the ability of diverse L. major strains from across its natural range to undergo mating in pairwise tests; and the timing of the appearance of hybrids and their developmental stage associations within both natural (Phlebotomus duboscqi) and unnatural (Lutzomyia longipalpis) sand fly vectors. Following co-infection of flies with parental lines bearing independent drug markers, doubly-drug resistant hybrid progeny were selected, from which 96 clonal lines were analyzed for DNA content and genotyped for parent alleles at 4-6 unlinked nuclear loci as well as the maxicircle DNA. As seen previously, the majority of hybrids showed '2n' DNA contents, but with a significant number of '3n' and one '4n' offspring. In the natural vector, 97% of the nuclear loci showed both parental alleles; however, 3% (4/150) showed only one parental allele. In the unnatural vector, the frequency of uniparental inheritance rose to 10% (27/275). We attribute this to loss of heterozygosity after mating, most likely arising from aneuploidy which is both common and temporally variable in Leishmania. As seen previously, only uniparental inheritance of maxicircle kDNA was observed. Hybrids were recovered at similar efficiencies in all pairwise crosses tested, suggesting that L. major lacks detectable 'mating types' that limit free genetic exchange. In the natural vector, comparisons of the timing of hybrid formation with the presence of developmental stages suggest nectomonads as the most likely sexually competent stage, with hybrids emerging well before the first appearance of metacyclic promastigotes. These studies provide an important perspective on the prevalence of genetic exchange in natural populations of L. major and a guide for experimental studies to understand the biology of mating.

  20. Gamma radiation affects the anti-Leishmania activity of Bothrops moojeni venom and correlates with L-amino acid oxidase activity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tempone, A.G.; Lourenco, C.O.; Spencer, P.J.; Rogero, J.R.; Nascimento, N. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Div. de Radiobiologia; Andrade Junior, H.F. [Sao Paulo Univ., SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Medicina. Inst. de Medicina Tropical

    1999-11-01

    Leishmania causes human disfiguring skin disease in endemic areas of Amazon and North Eastern Brazil. Those parasites present a remarkable resistance to most treatments, except those using toxic antimonial salts. We detected a specific anti-Leishmania activity in snake venoms, using an in vitro promastigote assay. In this report, we analyzed the activity of Bothrops moojeni venom against L. Amazonensis, using whole venom or fractions of L-amino acid oxidase (L-AO). Crude venom of B.moojeni, was fractionated by molecular exclusion chromatography. Activity against promastigotes was detected by respiratory oxidative conversion of MTT in a colorimetric assay and L-AO activity was detected by a colorimetric assay with peroxidase and OPD as revealing reagents. Crude venom was irradiated with 500, 1000, and 2000 Gy in a {sup 60} Co gamma radiation source. The venom had an anti-Leishmania activity of 33 pg/promastigote and the active fraction migrates as 100-150 kDa, close to the size described for L-AOs, and also presented L-AO activity. The radiation reduces both the L-AO and anti-Leishmania activity in a dose dependent effect. Those data suggests the anti-Leishmania activity in this venom is closely related to the L-amino acid oxidase activity and also that radiation could be used as a tool to detect specific activities reduction in water solutions, similarly to observed in dry preparations. (author) 13 refs., 3 figs.

  1. Nitric oxide production by Peromyscus yucatanicus (Rodentia infected with Leishmania (Leishmania mexicana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elsy Nalleli Loría-Cervera

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Peromyscus yucatanicus (Rodentia: Cricetidae is a primary reservoir of Leishmania (Leishmania mexicana (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae. Nitric oxide (NO generally plays a crucial role in the containment and elimination of Leishmania. The aim of this study was to determine the amount of NO produced by P. yucatanicus infected with L. (L. mexicana. Subclinical and clinical infections were established in P. yucatanicus through inoculation with 1 x 10 2 and 2.5 x 10 6 promastigotes, respectively. Peritoneal macrophages were cultured alone or co-cultured with lymphocytes with or without soluble Leishmania antigen. The level of NO production was determined using the Griess reaction. The amount of NO produced was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.0001 in co-cultured macrophages and lymphocytes than in macrophages cultured alone. No differences in NO production were found between P. yucatanicus with subclinical L. (L. mexicana infections and animals with clinical infections. These results support the hypothesis that the immunological mechanisms of NO production in P. yucatanicus are similar to those described in mouse models of leishmaniasis and, despite NO production, P. yucatanicus is unable to clear the parasite infection.

  2. Evaluation of Leishmania Species Reactivity in Human Serologic Diagnosis of Leishmaniasis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Silvestre, Ricardo; Santarém, Nuno; Teixeira, Lúcia; Cunha, Joana; Schallig, Henk; Cordeiro-da-Silva, Anabela

    2009-01-01

    The sensitivities and specificities of IgG-ELISA and IgG flow cytometry based techniques using different Leishmania species were determined using, sera collected from 40 cutaneous or visceral leishmaniasis patients. The flow cytometry technique, using promastigote parasite forms, performed better

  3. Anti-Leishmania and cytotoxic activities of perillaldehyde epoxide synthetic positional isomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keesen, Tatjana Souza Lima; da Silva, Larisse Virgolino; da Câmara Rocha, Juliana; Andrade, Luciana Nalone; Lima, Tamires Cardoso; de Sousa, Damião Pergentino

    2018-03-13

    Leishmaniasis belongs to a complex of zoonotic disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania and is considered a major public health problem. Several essential oil chemical components have inhibitory effect against protozoa, including Leishmania donovani. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate for the first time the anti-Leishmania activity of two p-menthane monoterpene isomers (EPER-1: perillaldehyde 1,2-epoxide and EPER-2: perillaldehyde 8,9-epoxide) against L. donovani promastigotes as well as evaluating cytotoxic effect on mononuclear peripheral blood cells. Results of anti-Leishmania assay revealed that EPER-2 (IC 50  = 3.8 μg.mL -1 ) was 16-fold more potent than its isomer EPER-1 (IC 50  = 64.6 μg.mL -1 ). In contrast to PBMC cells, EPER-2 was not cytotoxic (IC 50  > 400 μg.mL -1 ) when compared to positive control. These data suggest that the disposition of epoxide group into the p-menthane skeleton affects the anti-Leishmania activity, being that the presence of the exocyclic epoxide group considerably increased potency. Thus, it was possible to observe that the location of the epoxide group into the p-menthane skeleton resulted in different potencies.

  4. Leishmania resistant to sodium stibogluconate: drug-associated macrophage-dependent killing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ibrahim, M E; Hag-Ali, M; el-Hassan, A M

    1994-01-01

    A total of 17 Leishmania isolates, 6 of them isolated from antimony-resistant patients, were collected in the Sudan and tested for their sensitivity to sodium stibogluconate (Pentostam) as promastigotes. Six of those isolates were tested as amastigotes infecting a murine macrophage cell line...

  5. In vitro study of the photodynamic antimicrobial therapy (PACT) against promastigotes form of the leishmania (viannia) braziliensis: in vitro study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barbosa, Artur F. S.; Sangiorgi, Bruno B.; Galdino, Suely L.; Pitta, Ivan R.; Barral-Netto, Manoel; Pinheiro, Antônio L. B.

    2013-03-01

    Leishmaniasis, a protozoan parasitic disease that remains a major worldwide health problem with high endemicity in developing countries. Treatment of cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) should be decided by the clinical lesions, etiological species and its potential to develop into mucosal Leishmaniasis. High cost, systemic toxicity, and diminished efficacy due to development of parasite resistance are the serious drawbacks of current treatment options. Thus, identifying new, effective, and safer anti-leishmanial drug(s) is of paramount importance. The aim of this study was to verify the effectiveness of PACT in vitro, as a new technique for the treatment of Leishmaniasis. For this, semiconductor laser (λ = 660nm, 40mW, 8.4J/cm2, CW) associated to phenothiazine's derivatives (5 and 10 μg/ml, TBO, Methylene Blue or Phenothiazine) on the promastigotes form of Leishmania braziliensis in a single session was used. Viability of the parasites was assessed in quadruplicates of each group. The samples were removed and analyzed in a hemocytometer 72h after PACT. We found an important decrease in the number of viable parasites on all treated groups in comparison to their controls. The results of present study showed significant percentage of lethality (above 92%) of the protocol. The 98.33% of lethality was achieved with 10 μg/ml of FTZ. No lethality was seen on groups treated neither with laser nor with each compounds separately. The results are promising and indicative that the use of PACT may be a powerful treatment of Leishmaniasis when compared to already available ones.

  6. Caffeic acid and quercetin exert caspases-independent apoptotic effects on Leishmania major promastigotes, and reactivate the death of infected phagocytes derived from BALB/c mice

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    Radia Belkhelfa-Slimani

    2017-04-01

    Conclusions: The leishmanicidal effect of caffeic acid and quercetin on promastigotes and amastigotes, as well as reactivation of infected phagocytes apoptosis, suggested a potential therapeutic role against cutaneous leishmaniasis.

  7. Glycyrrhizic acid attenuates growth of Leishmania donovani by depleting ergosterol levels.

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    Dinesh, Neeradi; Neelagiri, Soumya; Kumar, Vinay; Singh, Sushma

    2017-05-01

    In the present study, glycyrrhizic acid (GA) the main component of Glycyrrhiza glabra was evaluated for its efficacy as antileishmanial agent and its mode of action explored. GA inhibits promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes in a dose dependent manner at an IC 50 value of 34 ± 3.0 μM and 20 ± 4.2 μM respectively. GA was non-toxic against THP-1 macrophage host cell line. GA was found to inhibit recombinant Leishmania donovani HMG-CoA reductase (LdHMGR) enzyme at the half-maximum inhibitory concentration of 24 ± 4.3 μM indicating the sensitivity and specificity of GA towards the enzyme. However, GA could cause only 30% reduction in HMGR activity when measured in Leishmania promastigotes treated with 34 μM of GA. Interestingly western blot analysis revealed fivefold reduced HMGR expression in GLA treated promastigotes. To further study the mode of action of GA, we used transgenic parasites overexpressing LdHMGR. Results indicated that ∼2 fold resistance was exhibited by LdHMGR overexpressing promastigotes to GA with an IC 50 value of 74 μM compared to the wild type parasite. This explained the specific binding of GA to LdHMGR enzyme. There was ∼2 fold depletion in ergosterol levels in wild type promastigotes compared to the HMGR overexpressors. This data was further validated by exogenous supplementation of GA treated cells with ergosterol and 40% reversal of growth inhibition was observed. The results obtained suggested that GA kills the parasite by affecting sterol biosynthetic pathway, especially by inhibiting the L. donovani HMGR and altering ergosterol levels. The finding from the current study shows that GA is a potential antileishmanial chemotherapeutic agent. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Studies on Using Cattle and Sheep Hydatid Cyst Fluid Instead of the Fetal Calf Serum in Leishmania Culture

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    Hossein Rezvan

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: Leishmania is a single cell parasite causing leishmaniasis, which is a common disease between humans and animals. Due to the importance of in-vitro culture of the parasite in leishmania research, developing new methods for in-vitro cultivation of the parasite has always been a goal for leishmania researchers. The main objective of7T 5T7Tthis study was to use sheep and bovine hydatid cyst fluids as alternatives for fetal calf serum (FCS in leishmania in-vitro5T culture5T. Materials and Methods: 7TA total of 5T7T1 million leishmania promastigotes were added to 4 flasks as follow5T7T. A f5T7Tlask containing DMEM medium with 105T7T% 5T7Tfetal bovine serum5T7T, a f5T7Tlask containing DMEM and 10% sheep hydatid cyst fluid5T7T, a f5T7Tlask containing DMEM medium with 105T7T% 5T7Tbovine hydatid cyst fluid and a5T7T f5T7Tlask containing DMEM medium alone. After 2, 45T7T, 5T7T7, 95T7T, 11, 5T7T21 and 24 days, the number of parasites were counted and compared5T7T. Results: The result of this study showed that, DMEM medium enriched with 10% sheep hydatid cyst fluid in 168 hours and medium enriched with 10% bovine hydatid cyst fluid in 96 hours can act as a good alternative for fetal bovine serum in the culture Leishmania major. Conclusion: 5TThe results showed that sheep and bovine hydatid cyst fluid can be used as alternatives to FCS for dense cultivation of leishmania. The results also showed that5T, 5Tthe growth of promastigotes in medium enriched with bovine cyst fluid is more rapid than the medium enriched with sheep5T c5Tyst fluid5T in5T the beginning of cultivation.

  9. Recombinant Forms of Leishmania amazonensis Excreted/Secreted Promastigote Surface Antigen (PSA Induce Protective Immune Responses in Dogs.

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    Elodie Petitdidier

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Preventive vaccination is a highly promising strategy for interrupting leishmaniasis transmission that can, additionally, contribute to elimination. A vaccine formulation based on naturally excreted secreted (ES antigens was prepared from L. infantum promastigote culture supernatant. This vaccine achieved successful results in Phase III trials and was licensed and marketed as CaniLeish. We recently showed that newly identified ES promastigote surface antigen (PSA, from both viable promastigotes and axenically-grown amastigotes, represented the major constituent and the highly immunogenic antigen of L. infantum and L. amazonensis ES products. We report here that three immunizations with either the recombinant ES LaPSA-38S (rPSA or its carboxy terminal part LaPSA-12S (Cter-rPSA, combined with QA-21 as adjuvant, confer high levels of protection in naive L. infantum-infected Beagle dogs, as checked by bone marrow parasite absence in respectively 78.8% and 80% of vaccinated dogs at 6 months post-challenge. The parasite burden in infected vaccinated dogs was significantly reduced compared to placebo group, as measured by q-PCR. Moreover, our results reveal humoral and cellular immune response clear-cut differences between vaccinated and control dogs. An early increase in specific IgG2 antibodies was observed in rPSA/QA-21- and Cter-rPSA/QA-21-immunized dogs only. They were found functionally active in vitro and were highly correlated with vaccine protection. In vaccinated protected dogs, IFN-γ and NO productions, as well as anti-leishmanial macrophage activity, were increased. These data strongly suggest that ES PSA or its carboxy-terminal part, in recombinant forms, induce protection in a canine model of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis by inducing a Th1-dominant immune response and an appropriate specific antibody response. These data suggest that they could be considered as important active components in vaccine candidates.

  10. Comparison of Tetrazolium Salt Assays for Evaluation of Drug Activity against Leishmania spp.

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    Ginouves, Marine; Carme, Bernard; Couppie, Pierre

    2014-01-01

    In French Guiana, leishmaniasis is an essentially cutaneous infection. It constitutes a major public health problem, with a real incidence of 0.2 to 0.3%. Leishmania guyanensis is the causal species most frequently encountered in French Guiana. The treatment of leishmaniasis is essentially drug based, but the therapeutic compounds available have major side effects (e.g., liver damage and diabetes) and must be administered parenterally or are costly. The efficacy of some of these agents has declined due to the emergence of resistance in certain strains of Leishmania. There is currently no vaccine against leishmaniasis, and it is therefore both necessary and urgent to identify new compounds effective against Leishmania. The search for new drugs requires effective tests for evaluations of the leishmanicidal activity of a particular molecule or extract. Microculture tetrazolium assays (MTAs) are colorimetric tests based on the use of tetrazolium salts. We compared the efficacies of three tetrazolium salts—3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), 2,3-bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide (XTT), and 2-(2-methoxy-4-nitrophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-(2,4-disulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (WST-8)—for quantification of the promastigotes of various species of Leishmania. We found that the capacity of Leishmania to metabolize a tetrazolium salt depended on the salt used and the species of Leishmania. WST-8 was the tetrazolium salt best metabolized by L. guyanensis and gave the best sensitivity. PMID:24719447

  11. Identification of geographically distributed sub-populations of Leishmania (Leishmania major by microsatellite analysis

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    Schwenkenbecher Jan

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Leishmania (Leishmania major, one of the agents causing cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL in humans, is widely distributed in the Old World where different species of wild rodent and phlebotomine sand fly serve as animal reservoir hosts and vectors, respectively. Despite this, strains of L. (L. major isolated from many different sources over many years have proved to be relatively uniform. To investigate the population structure of the species highly polymorphic microsatellite markers were employed for greater discrimination among it's otherwise closely related strains, an approach applied successfully to other species of Leishmania. Results Multilocus Microsatellite Typing (MLMT based on 10 different microsatellite markers was applied to 106 strains of L. (L. major from different regions where it is endemic. On applying a Bayesian model-based approach, three main populations were identified, corresponding to three separate geographical regions: Central Asia (CA; the Middle East (ME; and Africa (AF. This was congruent with phylogenetic reconstructions based on genetic distances. Re-analysis separated each of the populations into two sub-populations. The two African sub-populations did not correlate well with strains' geographical origin. Strains falling into the sub-populations CA and ME did mostly group according to their place of isolation although some anomalies were seen, probably, owing to human migration. Conclusion The model- and distance-based analyses of the microsatellite data exposed three main populations of L. (L. major, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa, each of which separated into two sub-populations. This probably correlates with the different species of rodent host.

  12. Genetic Manipulation of Leishmania donovani to Explore the Involvement of Argininosuccinate Synthase in Oxidative Stress Management.

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    Abul Hasan Sardar

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS produced by the phagocytic cells are the most common arsenals used to kill the intracellular pathogens. However, Leishmania, an intracellular pathogen, has evolved mechanisms to survive by counterbalancing the toxic oxygen metabolites produced during infection. Polyamines, the major contributor in this anti-oxidant machinery, are largely dependent on the availability of L-arginine in the intracellular milieu. Argininosuccinate synthase (ASS plays an important role as the rate-limiting step required for converting L-citrulline to argininosuccinate to provide arginine for an assortment of metabolic processes. Leishmania produce an active ASS enzyme, yet it has an incomplete urea cycle as it lacks an argininosuccinate lyase (ASL. There is no evidence for endogenous synthesis of L-arginine in Leishmania, which suggests that these parasites salvage L-arginine from extracellular milieu and makes the biological function of ASS and the production of argininosuccinate in Leishmania unclear. Our previous quantitative proteomic analysis of Leishmania promastigotes treated with sub-lethal doses of ROS, RNS, or a combination of both, led to the identification of several differentially expressed proteins which included ASS. To assess the involvement of ASS in stress management, a mutant cell line with greatly reduced ASS activity was created by a double-targeted gene replacement strategy in L. donovani promastigote. Interestingly, LdASS is encoded by three copies of allele, but Western blot analysis showed the third allele did not appear to express ASS. The free thiol levels in the mutant LdASS-/-/+ cell line were decreased. Furthermore, the cell viability in L-arginine depleted medium was greatly attenuated on exposure to different stress environments and was adversely impacted in its ability to infect mice. These findings suggest that ASS is important for Leishmania donovani to counterbalance the stressed

  13. LABCG2, a New ABC Transporter Implicated in Phosphatidylserine Exposure, Is Involved in the Infectivity and Pathogenicity of Leishmania

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    González-Rey, Elena; Delgado, Mario; Castanys, Santiago; Pérez-Victoria, José M.; Gamarro, Francisco

    2013-01-01

    Leishmaniasis is a neglected disease produced by the intracellular protozoan parasite Leishmania. In the present study, we show that LABCG2, a new ATP-binding cassette half-transporter (ABCG subfamily) from Leishmania, is involved in parasite virulence. Down-regulation of LABCG2 function upon expression of an inactive mutant version of this half-transporter (LABCG2K/M) is shown to reduce the translocation of short-chain analogues of phosphatidylserine (PS). This dominant-negative phenotype is specific for the headgroup of the phospholipid, as the movement of phospholipid analogues of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine or sphingomyelin is not affected. In addition, promastigotes expressing LABCG2K/M expose less endogenous PS in the stationary phase than control parasites. Transient exposure of PS at the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane is known to be one of the mechanisms used by Leishmania to infect macrophages and to silence their immune response. Stationary phase/metacyclic promastigotes expressing LABCG2K/M are less infective for macrophages and show decreased pathogenesis in a mouse model of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Thus, mice infected with parasites expressing LABCG2K/M did not develop any lesion and showed significantly lower inflammation and parasite burden than mice infected with control parasites. Our results indicate that LABCG2 function is required for the externalization of PS in Leishmania promastigotes, a process that is involved in the virulence of the parasite. PMID:23638200

  14. Preparation of live attenuated leishmania parasites by using laser technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussain, Nabiha; Alkhouri, Hassan; Haddad, Shaden

    2018-05-01

    Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease of humans, affecting the skin, mucosal and/or internal organs, caused by flagellate protozoa Leishmania of the Trypanosomatidae family. Leishmania would be one for which a vaccine could be developed with relative ease. Many studies mount an effective response that resolves the infection and confers solid immunity to reinfection and suggesting that infection may be a prerequisite for immunological memory. Genetically altered live attenuated parasites with controlled infectivity could achieve such immunological memory. Recent concepts include use of genetically modified live-attenuated Leishmania parasites, and proteomics approach for the search of a cross-protective leishmanial vaccine that would ideally protect against both cutaneous and visceral forms of the disease. No licensed vaccine is available till date against any form of leishmaniasis. The present study evaluated role of laser technology in development of a safe live Leishmania vaccine, a vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of LPs. The parasite culture was expanded in RPMI 1640 medium with 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) and grown until stationary phase for experiments. 80 samples of leishmania promastigotes (Culture media of LPs) were exposed to Nd:YAG laser (wavelength 1064 nm, single spot or double) with different outputs powers (7w, 100 Hz, 99.03w/cm2, 0.99 J/cm2 and 8 w, 100 Hz, 113.18w/cm2 1.13J/cm2)) for suitable exposer times. The effect of semiconductor laser (wavelength 810 nm, 7w, 2000 Hz, 99.03w/cm2, 0.05 J/cm2) or (7 w, 500 Hz, 99.03 w/cm2, 0.2J/cm2) single spot or double with long exposure times. The viability of Leishmania parasites was measured using XTT method; viable parasites were decreased with long exposure times. XTT test referred both these wavelengths were effective in killing percentage of Leishmania promastigotes, the remaining were devoid flagellum that

  15. Cloning and Expression of TRYP6 Gene from Leishmania major (MRHO/IR/75/ER

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    G Eslami

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: Leishmania, needs to detoxify the macrophage derived potent peroxides (H2O2. Tryparedoxin path­way contains tryparedoxin peroxidase (TSA or TRYP. The aim of the study was to detect the full-length gene se­quence and its encoded protein of the LmTRYP6 gene (EU251502, and comparison the gene sequence with LmTRYP6 (LmjF15.1140, another previously reported member of this gene family.Methods: L.major (MRHO/IR/75/ER promastigotes were cultured, DNA and RNA were extracted and the inter­ested gene was amplified using PCR and RT-PCR methods.  PCR/ RT-PCR fragments were purified and cloned first in pTZ57R/T and then in pET15b expression vector. The expressed protein was verified using western blot method. Char­acterization of the expressed protein was performed bioinformatically.Results: Molecular evaluation revealed that the cloned LmTRYP6 gene (EU251502 encoded a predicted 184 amino acid long protein with a theoretical isoelectric point of 6.1101. Alignment showed a number of changes in amino acid composition including the replacement of highly conserved Trp177 by Cys in LmTRYP6 (ABX26130.Conclusion: So far no study has been done on this group, i.e.  TRYP6 gene, from tryparedoxin peroxidase family. The low homology with LmTRYP6 (LmjF15.1140 and vast array of differences observed in the gene under study (LmTRYP6; EU251502 could open new windows in the field of anti-Leishmania combat. Based on its important role in the viability and successful establishment of the parasite in the host organism it looks to be very good candi­date for vaccine development and any other sort of novel drug development.

  16. An agent-based model for Leishmania major infection

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    Dancik, Garrett M.; Jones, Douglas E.; Dorman, Karin S.

    Leishmania are protozoan parasites transmitted by bites of infected sandflies. Over 20 species of Leishmania, endemic in 88 countries, are capable of causing human disease. Disease is either cutaneous, where skin ulcers occur on exposed surfaces of the body, or visceral, with near certain mortality if untreated. C3HeB/FeJ mice are resistant to L. major, but develop chronic cutaneous lesions when infected with another species L. amazonensis. The well-characterized mechanism of resistance to L. major depends on a CD4+ Thl immune response, macrophage activation, and elimination of the parasite [Sacks 2002]. The factors that account for host susceptibility to L. Amazonensis, however, are not completely understood, despite being generally attributed to a weakened Th1 response [Vanloubbeck 2004].

  17. Visualisation of Leishmania donovani fluorescent hybrids during early stage development in the sand fly vector.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadlova, Jovana; Yeo, Matthew; Seblova, Veronika; Lewis, Michael D; Mauricio, Isabel; Volf, Petr; Miles, Michael A

    2011-01-01

    The Leishmania protozoan parasites cause devastating human diseases. Leishmania have been considered to replicate clonally, without genetic exchange. However, an accumulation of evidence indicates that there are inter-specific and intra-specific hybrids among natural populations. The first and so far only experimental proof of genetic exchange was obtained in 2009 when double drug resistant Leishmania major hybrids were produced by co-infecting sand flies with two strains carrying different drug resistance markers. However, the location and timing of hybridisation events in sand flies has not been described. Here we have co-infected Phlebotomus perniciosus and Lutzomyia longipalpis with transgenic promastigotes of Leishmania donovani strains carrying hygromycin or neomycin resistance genes and red or green fluorescent markers. Fed females were dissected at different times post bloodmeal (PBM) and examined by fluorescent microscopy or fluorescent activated cell sorting (FACS) followed by confocal microscopy. In mixed infections strains LEM3804 and Gebre-1 reached the cardia and stomodeal valves more rapidly than strains LEM4265 and LV9. Hybrids unequivocally expressing both red and green fluorescence were seen in single flies of both vectors tested, co-infected with LEM4265 and Gebre-1. The hybrids were present as short (procyclic) promastigotes 2 days PBM in the semi-digested blood in the endoperitrophic space. Recovery of a clearly co-expressing hybrid was also achieved by FACS. However, hybrids could not sustain growth in vitro. For the first time, we observed L. donovani hybrids in the sand fly vector, 2 days PBM and described the morphological stages involved. Fluorescence microscopy in combination with FACS allows visualisation and recovery of the progeny of experimental crosses but on this occasion the hybrids were not viable in vitro. Nevertheless, genetic exchange in L. donovani has profound epidemiological significance, because it facilitates the emergence

  18. Phloroglucinol derivatives from Hypericum species trigger mitochondrial dysfunction in Leishmania amazonensis.

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    Dagnino, Ana Paula Aquistapase; Mesquita, Camila Saporiti; Dorneles, Gilson Pires; Teixeira, Vivian de Oliveira Nunes; de Barros, Francisco Maikon Corrêa; Vidal Ccana-Ccapatinta, Gari; Fonseca, Simone Gonçalves; Monteiro, Marta Chagas; Júnior, Luiz Carlos Rodrigues; Peres, Alessandra; von Poser, Gilsane Lino; Romão, Pedro Roosevelt Torres

    2018-02-27

    Bioactive molecules isolated from plants are promising sources for the development of new therapies against leishmaniasis. We investigated the leishmanicidal activity of cariphenone A (1), isouliginosin B (2) and uliginosin B (3) isolated from Hypericum species. Promastigotes and amastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis were incubated with compounds 1-3 at concentrations 1-100 µ m for 48 h. The anti-promastigote effect of compounds was also tested in combinations. The cytotoxicity against macrophages and human erythrocytes were determined using the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method and hemolysis assay, respectively. The compounds 1-3 showed high leishmanicidal activity against promastigotes, IC50 values of 10.5, 17.5 and 11.3 µ m, respectively. Synergistic interactions were found to the associations of compounds 1 and 2 [Σ fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) = 0.41], and 2 and 3 (ΣFIC = 0.28) on promastigotes. All Hypericum compounds induced mitochondrial hyperpolarization and reactive oxygen species production in promastigotes. The compounds showed low cytotoxicity toward mammalian cells, high selectivity index and killed intracellular amastigotes probably mediated by oxidative stress. These results indicate that these compounds are promising candidates for the development of drugs against leishmaniasis.

  19. From genomes to vaccines: Leishmania as a model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almeida, Renata; Norrish, Alan; Levick, Mark; Vetrie, David; Freeman, Tom; Vilo, Jaak; Ivens, Alasdair; Lange, Uta; Stober, Carmel; McCann, Sharon; Blackwell, Jenefer M

    2002-01-01

    The 35 Mb genome of Leishmania should be sequenced by late 2002. It contains approximately 8500 genes that will probably translate into more than 10 000 proteins. In the laboratory we have been piloting strategies to try to harness the power of the genome-proteome for rapid screening of new vaccine candidate. To this end, microarray analysis of 1094 unique genes identified using an EST analysis of 2091 cDNA clones from spliced leader libraries prepared from different developmental stages of Leishmania has been employed. The plan was to identify amastigote-expressed genes that could be used in high-throughput DNA-vaccine screens to identify potential new vaccine candidates. Despite the lack of transcriptional regulation that polycistronic transcription in Leishmania dictates, the data provide evidence for a high level of post-transcriptional regulation of RNA abundance during the developmental cycle of promastigotes in culture and in lesion-derived amastigotes of Leishmania major. This has provided 147 candidates from the 1094 unique genes that are specifically upregulated in amastigotes and are being used in vaccine studies. Using DNA vaccination, it was demonstrated that pooling strategies can work to identify protective vaccines, but it was found that some potentially protective antigens are masked by other disease-exacerbatory antigens in the pool. A total of 100 new vaccine candidates are currently being tested separately and in pools to extend this analysis, and to facilitate retrospective bioinformatic analysis to develop predictive algorithms for sequences that constitute potentially protective antigens. We are also working with other members of the Leishmania Genome Network to determine whether RNA expression determined by microarray analyses parallels expression at the protein level. We believe we are making good progress in developing strategies that will allow rapid translation of the sequence of Leishmania into potential interventions for disease

  20. Distinctive cellular immunity in genetically susceptible BALB/c mice recovered from Leishmania major infection or after subcutaneous immunization with killed parasites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liew, F.Y.; Dhaliwal, J.S.

    1987-01-01

    Genetically susceptible BALB/c mice are refractory to further infection after recovery from Leishmania major infection after a sublethal dose of gamma-irradiation. In contrast, mice immunized with killed promastigotes s.c. develop exacerbated lesions after infection. Both groups of mice produce only a low level of specific antibody and no detectable cytotoxic T cells, but do have a strong antigen-specific DTH, which is adoptively transferable with Lyt-1+2-, L3T4+ T cells. Kinetic and histological studies revealed that mice immunized s.c. developed Jones-Mote hypersensitivity, peaking at 15 hr. with little mononuclear cell infiltration at the site of antigen administration; whereas mice that had recovered from infection developed tuberculin-type of reactivity, peaking at 24 to 48 hr, with intense mononuclear cell infiltration. Splenic T cells from recovered mice, when injected into the footpads of normal recipients together with live promastigotes, were able to retard lesion development; whereas T cells from s.c. immunized mice, when similarly transferred, accelerated disease progression. Antigen-specific culture supernatant of spleen cells from recovered mice also activated normal resident peritoneal macrophages to kill intracellular L. major amastigotes and tumor cells. Culture supernatants of spleen cells from s.c. immunized or normal mice were devoid of such activities. Part of the macrophage-activating potential can be inhibited by antibody specific for IFN-gamma. These results therefore demonstrate that whereas the Jones-Mote reaction is correlated with disease exacerbation, the tuberculin-type of DTH may be protective. Furthermore, in vivo immunity is directly related to the capacity of T cells to produce macrophage-activating factor

  1. Comparison of Parasite Burden Using Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay and Limiting Dilution Assay in Leishma-nia major Infected Mouse

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    Somayeh GHOTLOO

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Background:Limiting dilution assay is considered as the gold standard method for quantifying the number of parasites in the animal model of Leishmania infection. Nowadays, real-time PCR is being increasingly applied to quantify infectious agents. In the present study, a real-time PCR assay was developed to estimate para­site burdens in lymph nodes of Leishmania major infected BALB/C mice. Enumera­tion of parasites was also performed by limiting dilution assay and compared with the results of real-time PCR based quantification.Methods:The SYBR Green based real- time PCR assay was performed to amplify a 75 bp fragment of superoxide dismutase B1 gene in the lymph nodes of L. major infected BALB/C mice 8 weeks post infection. Mice were infected subcutaneously at the base of their tail with 2 × 105L. major promastigotes in the stationary phase of growth. To compare parasite burdens obtained by real-time PCR assay with those of limiting dilution assay, twelve 8-fold serial dilutions of the lymph node homoge­nates were prepared in the Schneider medium and incubated at 26°C.After 7 days, wells containing motile parasites were identified by direct observation under an inverted light microscope and the total number of parasites was estimated using the ELIDA software.Results:Spearman's correlation coefficient of the parasite burdens between real-time PCR and limiting dilution assay was 0.72 (Pvalue = 0.008.Conclusion:Real-time PCR assay is an appropriate replacement to existing limit­ing dilution assay in quantifying parasite burden in the experimental model of Leishma­nia infection.

  2. Cyclosporin A treatment of Leishmania donovani reveals stage-specific functions of cyclophilins in parasite proliferation and viability.

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    Wai-Lok Yau

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Cyclosporin A (CsA has important anti-microbial activity against parasites of the genus Leishmania, suggesting CsA-binding cyclophilins (CyPs as potential drug targets. However, no information is available on the genetic diversity of this important protein family, and the mechanisms underlying the cytotoxic effects of CsA on intracellular amastigotes are only poorly understood. Here, we performed a first genome-wide analysis of Leishmania CyPs and investigated the effects of CsA on host-free L. donovani amastigotes in order to elucidate the relevance of these parasite proteins for drug development. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Multiple sequence alignment and cluster analysis identified 17 Leishmania CyPs with significant sequence differences to human CyPs, but with highly conserved functional residues implicated in PPIase function and CsA binding. CsA treatment of promastigotes resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth with an IC50 between 15 and 20 microM as demonstrated by proliferation assay and cell cycle analysis. Scanning electron microscopy revealed striking morphological changes in CsA treated promastigotes reminiscent to developing amastigotes, suggesting a role for parasite CyPs in Leishmania differentiation. In contrast to promastigotes, CsA was highly toxic to amastigotes with an IC50 between 5 and 10 microM, revealing for the first time a direct lethal effect of CsA on the pathogenic mammalian stage linked to parasite thermotolerance, independent from host CyPs. Structural modeling, enrichment of CsA-binding proteins from parasite extracts by FPLC, and PPIase activity assays revealed direct interaction of the inhibitor with LmaCyP40, a bifunctional cyclophilin with potential co-chaperone function. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The evolutionary expansion of the Leishmania CyP protein family and the toxicity of CsA on host-free amastigotes suggest important roles of PPIases in parasite biology and implicate

  3. LeishCyc: a biochemical pathways database for Leishmania major

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    Doyle Maria A

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Leishmania spp. are sandfly transmitted protozoan parasites that cause a spectrum of diseases in more than 12 million people worldwide. Much research is now focusing on how these parasites adapt to the distinct nutrient environments they encounter in the digestive tract of the sandfly vector and the phagolysosome compartment of mammalian macrophages. While data mining and annotation of the genomes of three Leishmania species has provided an initial inventory of predicted metabolic components and associated pathways, resources for integrating this information into metabolic networks and incorporating data from transcript, protein, and metabolite profiling studies is currently lacking. The development of a reliable, expertly curated, and widely available model of Leishmania metabolic networks is required to facilitate systems analysis, as well as discovery and prioritization of new drug targets for this important human pathogen. Description The LeishCyc database was initially built from the genome sequence of Leishmania major (v5.2, based on the annotation published by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. LeishCyc was manually curated to remove errors, correct automated predictions, and add information from the literature. The ongoing curation is based on public sources, literature searches, and our own experimental and bioinformatics studies. In a number of instances we have improved on the original genome annotation, and, in some ambiguous cases, collected relevant information from the literature in order to help clarify gene or protein annotation in the future. All genes in LeishCyc are linked to the corresponding entry in GeneDB (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. Conclusion The LeishCyc database describes Leishmania major genes, gene products, metabolites, their relationships and biochemical organization into metabolic pathways. LeishCyc provides a systematic approach to organizing the evolving information about Leishmania

  4. Eugenia uniflora L. Essential Oil as a Potential Anti-Leishmania Agent: Effects on Leishmania amazonensis and Possible Mechanisms of Action

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amorim, Layane Valéria; de Oliveira, Jamylla Mirck Guerra; Dias, Clarice Noleto; Moraes, Denise Fernandes Coutinho; Andrade, Eloisa Helena de Aguiar; Maia, Jose Guilherme Soares; Carneiro, Sabrina Maria Portela; Carvalho, Fernando Aécio de Amorim

    2013-01-01

    Eugenia uniflora L. is a member of the Myrtaceae family and is commonly known as Brazilian cherry tree. In this study, we evaluated the chemical composition of Eugenia uniflora L. essential oil (EuEO) by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and assessed its anti-Leishmania activity. We also explored the potential mechanisms of action and cytotoxicity of EuEO. Thirty-two compounds were identified, which constituted 92.65% of the total oil composition. The most abundant components were sesquiterpenes (91.92%), with curzerene (47.3%), γ-elemene (14.25%), and trans-β-elemenone (10.4%) being the major constituents. The bioactivity shown by EuEO against promastigotes (IC50, 3.04 μg·mL−1) and amastigotes (IC50, 1.92 μg·mL−1) suggested significant anti-Leishmania activity. In the cytotoxicity determination, EuEO was 20 times more toxic to amastigotes than to macrophages. Hemolytic activity was 63.22% at the highest concentration tested (400 μg·mL−1); however, there appeared to be no toxicity at 50 μg·mL−1. While the data show that EuEO activity is not mediated by nitric oxide production, they do suggest that macrophage activation may be involved in EuEO anti-Leishmania activity, as evidenced by increases in both the phagocytic capacity and the lysosomal activity. More studies are needed to determine in vivo activity as well as additional mechanisms of the anti-Leishmania activity. PMID:23533469

  5. Eugenia uniflora L. Essential Oil as a Potential Anti-Leishmania Agent: Effects on Leishmania amazonensis and Possible Mechanisms of Action

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Klinger Antonio da Franca Rodrigues

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Eugenia uniflora L. is a member of the Myrtaceae family and is commonly known as Brazilian cherry tree. In this study, we evaluated the chemical composition of Eugenia uniflora L. essential oil (EuEO by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS and assessed its anti-Leishmania activity. We also explored the potential mechanisms of action and cytotoxicity of EuEO. Thirty-two compounds were identified, which constituted 92.65% of the total oil composition. The most abundant components were sesquiterpenes (91.92%, with curzerene (47.3%, γ-elemene (14.25%, and trans-β-elemenone (10.4% being the major constituents. The bioactivity shown by EuEO against promastigotes (IC50, 3.04 μg·mL−1 and amastigotes (IC50, 1.92 μg·mL−1 suggested significant anti-Leishmania activity. In the cytotoxicity determination, EuEO was 20 times more toxic to amastigotes than to macrophages. Hemolytic activity was 63.22% at the highest concentration tested (400 μg·mL−1; however, there appeared to be no toxicity at 50 μg·mL−1. While the data show that EuEO activity is not mediated by nitric oxide production, they do suggest that macrophage activation may be involved in EuEO anti-Leishmania activity, as evidenced by increases in both the phagocytic capacity and the lysosomal activity. More studies are needed to determine in vivo activity as well as additional mechanisms of the anti-Leishmania activity.

  6. Eugenia uniflora L. Essential Oil as a Potential Anti-Leishmania Agent: Effects on Leishmania amazonensis and Possible Mechanisms of Action.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodrigues, Klinger Antonio da Franca; Amorim, Layane Valéria; de Oliveira, Jamylla Mirck Guerra; Dias, Clarice Noleto; Moraes, Denise Fernandes Coutinho; Andrade, Eloisa Helena de Aguiar; Maia, Jose Guilherme Soares; Carneiro, Sabrina Maria Portela; Carvalho, Fernando Aécio de Amorim

    2013-01-01

    Eugenia uniflora L. is a member of the Myrtaceae family and is commonly known as Brazilian cherry tree. In this study, we evaluated the chemical composition of Eugenia uniflora L. essential oil (EuEO) by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and assessed its anti-Leishmania activity. We also explored the potential mechanisms of action and cytotoxicity of EuEO. Thirty-two compounds were identified, which constituted 92.65% of the total oil composition. The most abundant components were sesquiterpenes (91.92%), with curzerene (47.3%), γ -elemene (14.25%), and trans- β -elemenone (10.4%) being the major constituents. The bioactivity shown by EuEO against promastigotes (IC50, 3.04  μ g·mL(-1)) and amastigotes (IC50, 1.92  μ g·mL(-1)) suggested significant anti-Leishmania activity. In the cytotoxicity determination, EuEO was 20 times more toxic to amastigotes than to macrophages. Hemolytic activity was 63.22% at the highest concentration tested (400  μ g·mL(-1)); however, there appeared to be no toxicity at 50  μ g·mL(-1). While the data show that EuEO activity is not mediated by nitric oxide production, they do suggest that macrophage activation may be involved in EuEO anti-Leishmania activity, as evidenced by increases in both the phagocytic capacity and the lysosomal activity. More studies are needed to determine in vivo activity as well as additional mechanisms of the anti-Leishmania activity.

  7. The development of Leishmania turanica in sand flies and competition with L. major.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chajbullinova, Alsu; Votypka, Jan; Sadlova, Jovana; Kvapilova, Katerina; Seblova, Veronika; Kreisinger, Jakub; Jirku, Milan; Sanjoba, Chizu; Gantuya, Sambuu; Matsumoto, Yoshitsugu; Volf, Petr

    2012-10-02

    In Central Asian foci of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniases, mixed infections of Leishmania turanica and L. major have been found in a reservoir host (the great gerbil, Rhombomys opimus) as well as in the sand fly vector Phlebotomus papatasi, but hybrids between these two Leishmania species have never been reported. In addition, the role of sand fly species other than P. papatasi in L. turanica circulation is not clear. In this work we compared the development of L. turanica in three sand fly species belonging to different subgenera. In addition, we studied experimental co-infections of sand flies by both Leishmania species using GFP transfected L. turanica (MRHO/MN/08/BZ18(GFP+)) and RFP transfected L. major (WHOM/IR/-/173-DsRED(RFP+)). The possibility of Leishmania genetic exchange during the vectorial part of the life cycle was studied using flow cytometry combined with immunofluorescent microscopy. Late-stage infections of L. turanica with frequent colonization of the stomodeal valve were observed in the specific vector P. (Phlebotomus) papatasi and in the permissive vector P. (Adlerius) arabicus. On the other hand, in P. sergenti (the specific vector of L. tropica), L. turanica promatigotes were present only until the defecation of bloodmeal remnants. In their natural vector P. papatasi, L. turanica and L. major developed similarly, and the spatiotemporal dynamics of localization in the sand fly gut was the same for both leishmania species. Fluorescence microscopy in combination with FACS analyses did not detect any L. major / L. turanica hybrids in the experimental co-infection of P. papatasi and P. duboscqi. Our data provide new insight into the development of different leishmania parasite species during a mixed infection in the sand fly gut. Despite the fact that both Leishmania species developed well in P. papatasi and P. duboscqi and did not outcompete each other, no genetic exchange was found. However, the ability of L. turanica to establish late

  8. Crotoxin stimulates an M1 activation profile in murine macrophages during Leishmania amazonensis infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farias, L H S; Rodrigues, A P D; Coêlho, E C; Santos, M F; Sampaio, S C; Silva, E O

    2017-09-01

    American tegumentary leishmaniasis is caused by different species of Leishmania. This protozoan employs several mechanisms to subvert the microbicidal activity of macrophages and, given the limited efficacy of current therapies, the development of alternative treatments is essential. Animal venoms are known to exhibit a variety of pharmacological activities, including antiparasitic effects. Crotoxin (CTX) is the main component of Crotalus durissus terrificus venom, and it has several biological effects. Nevertheless, there is no report of CTX activity during macrophage - Leishmania interactions. Thus, the main objective of this study was to evaluate whether CTX has a role in macrophage M1 polarization during Leishmania infection murine macrophages, Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes and L. amazonensis-infected macrophages were challenged with CTX. MTT [3-(4,5dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrasodium bromide] toxicity assays were performed on murine macrophages, and no damage was observed in these cells. Promastigotes, however, were affected by treatment with CTX (IC50 = 22·86 µg mL-1) as were intracellular amastigotes. Macrophages treated with CTX also demonstrated increased reactive oxygen species production. After they were infected with Leishmania, macrophages exhibited an increase in nitric oxide production that converged into an M1 activation profile, as suggested by their elevated production of the cytokines interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor-α and changes in their morphology. CTX was able to reverse the L. amazonensis-mediated inhibition of macrophage immune responses and is capable of polarizing macrophages to the M1 profile, which is associated with a better prognosis for cutaneous leishmaniasis treatment.

  9. Leishmania major infection in a dog with cutaneous manifestations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baneth, Gad; Nachum-Biala, Yaarit; Shabat Simon, Maytal; Brenner, Ori; Gaier, Sarit; Rojas, Alicia; Yasur-Landau, Daniel

    2016-05-10

    Leishmania major is a main cause of cutaneous leishmaniasis in humans in an area that stretches from India through Central Asia, the Middle East, to North and West Africa. In Israel, it is a common infection of humans with rodents as the reservoir hosts and Phlebotomus papatasi as its sand fly vector. A 6 months old spayed female mixed breed dog was referred to the Hebrew University Veterinary Teaching Hospital with a large ulcerative dermal lesion on the muzzle, and lesions in the foot pads and left hind leg. Histopathology of a skin biopsy found chronic lymphohistiocytic dermatitis with the presence of Leishmania spp. amastigotes in the muzzle. Physical examination indicated that the dog was overall in a good clinical condition and the main findings were the skin lesions and enlarged prescapular lymph nodes. Complete blood count and serum biochemistry profile were within reference ranges. Serology by ELISA was positive for Leishmania spp. and PCR of the prescapular lymph node was positive by an ITS1 region PCR-high resolution melt analysis. However, the melt curve and subsequent DNA sequencing indicated that infection was caused by L. major and not L. infantum, which is the main causative agent of canine leishmaniosis in the Mediterranean region. DNA was extracted from the paraffin embedded muzzle biopsy and PCR with sequencing also indicated L. major. The dog's young age and the absence of hyperglobulinemia and anemia were not typical of L. infantum infection. The dog was treated with allopurinol and the skin lesions improved and later disappeared when the dog was re-evaluated. This is the first molecularly-confirmed case of L. major infection in a dog. Two previous reports of L. major in dogs originated from Saudi-Arabia and Egypt in 1985 and 1987 were confirmed by enzymatic biochemical techniques. Serology for L. infantum was positive probably due to the well documented serological cross-reactivity between Leishmania spp. Although dogs and wild carnivores are

  10. The efficacy of 2-nitrovinylfuran derivatives against Leishmania in vitro and in vivo

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    Sergio Sifontes-Rodríguez

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Despite recent advances in the treatment of some forms of leishmaniasis, the available drugs are still far from ideal due to inefficacy, parasite resistance, toxicity and cost. The wide-spectrum antimicrobial activity of 2-nitrovinylfuran compounds has been described, as has their activity against Trichomonas vaginalis and other protozoa. Thus, the aim of this study was to test the antileishmanial activities of six 2-nitrovinylfurans in vitro and in a murine model of leishmaniasis. Minimum parasiticide concentration (MPC and 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50 values for these compounds against the promastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis, Leishmania infantum and Leishmania braziliensis were determined, as were the efficacies of two selected compounds in an experimental model of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL caused by L. amazonensis in BALB/c mice. All of the compounds were active against the promastigotes of the three Leishmania species tested. IC50 and MPC values were in the ranges of 0.8-4.7 µM and 1.7-32 µM, respectively. The compounds 2-bromo-5-(2-bromo-2-nitrovinyl-furan (furvina and 2-bromo-5-(2-methyl-2-nitrovinyl-furan (UC245 also reduced lesion growth in vivo at a magnitude comparable to or higher than that achieved by amphotericin B treatment. The results demonstrate the potential of this class of compounds as antileishmanial agents and support the clinical testing of Dermofural(r (a furvina-containing antifungal ointment for the treatment of CL.

  11. Disseminated Leishmaniasis Caused by Leishmania Tropica in a Puppy from Karaj, Central Iran

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    M Mohebali

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available A 5-month old puppy with muco-cutaneous lesions in the chin, around lips and eyes was exam­ined physically and microscopically for leishmaniasis. Muco-cutaneous lesions containing a large num­ber of amastigotes of Leishmania spp. were observed. Amastigotes were also detected in liver and spleen of the puppy. The animal was positive with Dipstick rK39 kit and high level of anti-Leishmania antibodies was detected by direct agglutination test (DAT. DNA, Using PCR-RFLP technique extracted from cultured Leishmania promastigotes and L. tropica was identified. This is the first report of concurrent mucosal and visceral involvement of L. tropica in a puppy from Iran.

  12. Molecular detection of Leishmania infection due to Leishmania major and Leishmania turanica in the vectors and reservoir host in Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rassi, Yavar; Oshaghi, Mohammad Ali; Azani, Sadegh Mohammadi; Abaie, Mohammad Reza; Rafizadeh, Sina; Mohebai, Mehdi; Mohtarami, Fatemeh; Zeinali, Mohammad kazem

    2011-02-01

    An epidemiological study was carried out on the vectors and reservoirs of cutaneous leishmaniasis in rural areas of Damghan district, Semnan province, central Iran, during 2008-2009. Totally, 6110 sand flies were collected using sticky papers and were subjected to molecular methods for detection of Leishmania parasite. Phlebotomus papatasi Scopoli was the common species in outdoor and indoor resting places. Polymerase chain reaction technique showed that 24 out of 218 P. papatasi (11%) and 4 out of 62 Phlebotomus caucasicus Marzinovskyi (6.5%) were positive for parasites Leishmania major Yakimoff and Schokhor. Twenty-one rodent reservoir hosts captured using Sherman traps were identified as Rhombomys opimus Lichtenstein (95%) and Meriones libycus Lichtenstein (5%). Microscopic investigation on blood smear of the animals for amastigote parasites revealed 8 (40%) rodents infected with R. opimus. L. major infection in these animals was then confirmed by polymerase chain reaction against internal transcribed spacer ribosomal DNA (rDNA) loci of the parasite followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism. Further, sequence analysis of 297 bp of ITS1-rDNA loci revealed the presence of L. major and Leishmania turanica in P. papatasi, and L. major in R. opimus. This is the first molecular report of L. major infection in both vectors (P. papatasi and P. caucasicus) and reservoir host (R. opimus) in this region. The results indicated that P. papatas was the primary vector of the disease and circulating the parasite between human and reservoirs, and P. caucasicus could be considered as a secondary vector. Further, our study showed that R. opimus is the most important host reservoir for maintenance of the parasite source in the area.

  13. Cyclic nucleotide specific phosphodiesterases of Leishmania major

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    Linder Markus

    2006-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Leishmania represent a complex of important human pathogens that belong to the systematic order of the kinetoplastida. They are transmitted between their human and mammalian hosts by different bloodsucking sandfly vectors. In their hosts, the Leishmania undergo several differentiation steps, and their coordination and optimization crucially depend on numerous interactions between the parasites and the physiological environment presented by the fly and human hosts. Little is still known about the signalling networks involved in these functions. In an attempt to better understand the role of cyclic nucleotide signalling in Leishmania differentiation and host-parasite interaction, we here present an initial study on the cyclic nucleotide-specific phosphodiesterases of Leishmania major. Results This paper presents the identification of three class I cyclic-nucleotide-specific phosphodiesterases (PDEs from L. major, PDEs whose catalytic domains exhibit considerable sequence conservation with, among other, all eleven human PDE families. In contrast to other protozoa such as Dictyostelium, or fungi such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida ssp or Neurospora, no genes for class II PDEs were found in the Leishmania genomes. LmjPDEA contains a class I catalytic domain at the C-terminus of the polypeptide, with no other discernible functional domains elsewhere. LmjPDEB1 and LmjPDEB2 are coded for by closely related, tandemly linked genes on chromosome 15. Both PDEs contain two GAF domains in their N-terminal region, and their almost identical catalytic domains are located at the C-terminus of the polypeptide. LmjPDEA, LmjPDEB1 and LmjPDEB2 were further characterized by functional complementation in a PDE-deficient S. cerevisiae strain. All three enzymes conferred complementation, demonstrating that all three can hydrolyze cAMP. Recombinant LmjPDEB1 and LmjPDEB2 were shown to be cAMP-specific, with Km values in the low micromolar range

  14. The Leishmania donovani UMP Synthase Is Essential for Promastigote Viability and Has an Unusual Tetrameric Structure That Exhibits Substrate-controlled Oligomerization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    French, Jarrod B.; Yates, Phillip A.; Soysa, D.Radika; Boitz, Jan M.; Carter, Nicola S.; Chang, Bailey; Ullman, Buddy; Ealick, Steven E. (Oregon HSU); (Cornell)

    2011-08-09

    The final two steps of de novo uridine 5'-monophosphate (UMP) biosynthesis are catalyzed by orotate phosphoribosyltransferase (OPRT) and orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase (OMPDC). In most prokaryotes and simple eukaryotes these two enzymes are encoded by separate genes, whereas in mammals they are expressed as a bifunctional gene product called UMP synthase (UMPS), with OPRT at the N terminus and OMPDC at the C terminus. Leishmania and some closely related organisms also express a bifunctional enzyme for these two steps, but the domain order is reversed relative to mammalian UMPS. In this work we demonstrate that L. donovani UMPS (LdUMPS) is an essential enzyme in promastigotes and that it is sequestered in the parasite glycosome. We also present the crystal structure of the LdUMPS in complex with its product, UMP. This structure reveals an unusual tetramer with two head to head and two tail to tail interactions, resulting in two dimeric OMPDC and two dimeric OPRT functional domains. In addition, we provide structural and biochemical evidence that oligomerization of LdUMPS is controlled by product binding at the OPRT active site. We propose a model for the assembly of the catalytically relevant LdUMPS tetramer and discuss the implications for the structure of mammalian UMPS.

  15. [Infecting glial cells with antimony resistant Leishmania tropica: A new ex-vivo model].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zorbozan, Orçun; Harman, Mehmet; Evren, Vedat; Erdoğan, Mümin Alper; Kılavuz, Aslı; Tunalı, Varol; Çavuş, İbrahim; Yılmaz, Özlem; Özbilgin, Ahmet; Turgay, Nevin

    2018-01-01

    Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne zoonotic disease that shows different clinical features like cutaneous, mucocutaneous, visceral and viscerotropic forms. The protocols used in the treatment of leishmaniasis are toxic and have many limitations during administration. One of the limitations of treatment is the resistance against the protocols in practice. There is also a need to define new treatment options especially for resistant patients. Ex-vivo models using primary cell cultures may be a good source for evaluating new drug options in patients with antimony resistance, in addition to in-vitro and in-vivo studies. In this study, it was aimed to define a new ex-vivo culture model to evaluate treatment options in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis who did not respond to treatment. In our experimental model of ex-vivo infection, Leishmania tropica promastigotes isolated from a case previously diagnosed with cutaneous leishmaniasis were used. The primary astroglial cell culture used for the ex-vivo model was prepared from 2-3 days old neonatal Sprague Dawley rat brains under sterile conditions by the modification McCarthy's method. The astroglia cells, which reached sufficient density, were infected with antimony resistant L.tropica promastigotes. After 24 hours of incubation, the supernatant on the cells were collected, the cell culture plate was dried at room temperature, then fixed with methyl alcohol and stained with Giemsa to search for L.tropica amastigotes. Amastigotes were intensely observed in glia cells in primary cell cultures infected with L.tropica promastigotes. No promastigotes were seen on Giemsa stained preparations of the precipitates prepared from the bottom sediment after the centrifugation of the liquid medium removed from the infected plates. In this study, promastigotes from a cutaneous leishmaniasis patient unable to respond to pentavalent antimony therapy were shown to infect rat glia cells and converted to amastigote form. This amastigote

  16. The Effect of Essential Oil of Nigella sativa and Satureia hortensis on Promastigot Stage of Lishmania major

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    KH Pirali-Kheirabadi

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background & aim: Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease caused by a protozoan parasite of the genus Leishmania. Traditionally, medicinal plants have been used for topical effects of leishmaniasis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the essential oil of Satureia hortensis and Nigella sativa on the Leishmania major. Methods: In this experimental study, the effects of the plant’s essential oils and savory black beans on the Leishmania major form were studied. Evaluation was determined based on the average of Leishmania parasites form survival after exposure to different concentrations of herbs and chemical drugs MA dose at different intervals. For this purpose, different extracts with ratios of 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, and 2% were added. Different groups of this study were kept in the same condition (incubated at 26 ° C. The parasites were removed from the incubator and the numbers of viable parasites were counted after 24hours. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Tukey test and GM. Results: There was a significant difference in reducing parasites on groups receiving Satureia hortensis and Nigella sativa with Glucantime (p <0.05. Conclusion: Due to the increasing drug resistance of Leishmania, plant oils such as Satureia hortensis and Nigella sativa could be used as an alternative treatment for controlling leishmaniasis. Key words: Essential oil, Leishmaniasis, Nigella sativa, Satureia hortensis

  17. Effect of ionizing radiation on the morphology, physiology and growth of Leishmania ssp; Acao da radiacao ionizante sobre a morfologia, fisiologia e crescimento da Leishmania spp

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bonetti, Franco C.; Spencer, Patrick J.; Nascimento, Nanci do [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Junior A, Heitor F. [Sao Paulo Univ., SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Medicina. Instituto de Medicina Tropical

    2000-07-01

    The Leishmania spp is a pathogenic protozoan, which cause different diseases in man. The human diseases, in America, caused by this group of protozoa are divided in cutaneous or tegumentar and visceral, known as kala-azar. In this work, our principal study object was the specie that causes tegumentar leishmaniasis, in Brazil. Metabolic studies of cellular respiration and proteins and nucleic acids synthesis were accomplished using radiation as a form of sterilizing the parasites without however affecting their immunogenic capacity The promastigotes forms of irradiated Leishmania spp were totally sterilized with the dose of 1500 Gy, with their reproductive and nucleic acids, as well as protein synthesis capacity blocked. (author)

  18. Photodynamic Vaccination of BALB/c Mice for Prophylaxis of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Caused by Leishmania amazonensis

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    Sayonara M. Viana

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: Photosensitizers (PS, like porphyrins and phthalocyanines (PC are excitable by light to generate cytotoxic singlet oxygen and other reactive oxygen species in the presence of atmospheric O2. Photodynamic inactivation of Leishmania by this means renders them non-viable, but preserves their effective use as vaccines. Leishmania can be photo-inactivated after PS-sensitization by loading via their endocytic uptake of PC or endogenous induction of transgenic mutants with delta-aminolevulinate (ALA to accumulate cytosolic uroporphyrin I (URO. Here, PS-sensitization and photo-inactivation of Leishmaniaamazonensis was further examined in vitro and in vivo for vaccination against cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL.Methods and Results:Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes were photodynamically inactivated in vitro by PC-loading followed by exposure to red light (1–2 J/cm2 or ALA-induction of uroporphyrinogenic transfectants to accumulate cytosolic URO followed by longwave UV exposure. When applied individually, both strategies of photodynamic inactivation were found to significantly, albeit incompletely abolish the MTT reduction activities of the promastigotes, their uptake by mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages in vitro and their infectivity to mouse ear dermis in vivo. Inactivation of Leishmania to completion by using a combination of both strategies was thus used for the sake of safety as whole-cell vaccines for immunization of BALB/c mice. Different cutaneous sites were assessed for the efficacy of such photodynamic vaccination in vivo. Each site was inoculated first with in vitro doubly PS-sensitized promastigotes and then spot-illuminated with white light (50 J/cm2 for their photo-inactivation in situ. Only in ear dermis parasites were photo-inactivated beyond detection. Mice were thus immunized once in the ear and challenged 3 weeks later at the tail base with virulent L. amazonensis. Prophylaxis was noted in mice photodynamically

  19. Differential Midgut Attachment of Leishmania (Viannia braziliensis in the Sand Flies Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia whitmani and Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia intermedia

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    Rodrigo P. Soares

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The interaction between Leishmania and sand flies has been demonstrated in many Old and New World species. Besides the morphological differentiation from procyclic to infective metacyclic promastigotes, the parasite undergoes biochemical transformations in its major surface lipophosphoglycan (LPG. An upregulation of β-glucose residues was previously shown in the LPG repeat units from procyclic to metacyclic phase in Leishmania (Viannia braziliensis, which has not been reported in any Leishmania species. LPG has been implicated as an adhesion molecule that mediates the interaction with the midgut epithelium of the sand fly in the Subgenus Leishmania. These adaptations were explored for the first time in a species from the Subgenus Viannia, L. (V. braziliensis with its natural vectors Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia intermedia and Lutzomyia (Nyssomyia whitmani. Using two in vitro binding techniques, phosphoglycans (PGs derived from procyclic and metacyclic parasites were able to bind to the insect midgut and inhibit L. braziliensis attachment. Interestingly, L. braziliensis procyclic parasite attachment was ∼11-fold greater in the midgut of L. whitmani than in L. intermedia. The epidemiological relevance of L. whitmani as a vector of American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ACL in Brazil is discussed.

  20. Aislamiento de genes diferencialmente expresados en amastigotes de Leishmania (Viannia panamensis

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    Róbinson Ramírez

    2001-04-01

    Full Text Available

    En Colombia cada año se diagnostican 6.500 casos nuevos de
    leishmaniasis cutánea y Leishmania (Viannia panamensis es la responsable del 95% de los casos. Durante su ciclo de vida, el parásito reside en el insecto vector como promastigote y se diferencia a amastigote después de ser inoculado en el hospedero mamífero. La transformación de promastigote a amastigote implica cambios morfológicos y bioquímicos que tienen lugar en el fagolisosoma del macrófago, y se caracterizan, entre otros, por la expresión de enzimas con actividad óptima a pH ácido además del cambio de los glicoconjugados de membrana. La supervivencia del parásito está asociada con su capacidad para inhibir funciones efectoras en el macrófago infectado permitiéndole al amastigote
    su replicación; sin embargo, poco se conoce acerca de los productos génicos expresados diferencialmente en este estadio por lo que nos propusimos con este trabajo aislar genes diferencialmente expresados en amastigotes de Leishmania (Viannia panamensis.

     

     

  1. In vitro antileishmanial activity of fisetin flavonoid via inhibition of glutathione biosynthesis and arginase activity in Leishmania infantum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adinehbeigi, Keivan; Razi Jalali, Mohammad Hossein; Shahriari, Ali; Bahrami, Somayeh

    2017-06-01

    With the increasing emergence of drug resistant Leishmania sp. in recent years, combination therapy has been considered as a useful way to treat and control of Leishmaniasis. The present study was designed to evaluate the antileishmanial effects of the fisetin alone and combination of fisetin plus Meglumine antimoniate (Fi-MA) against Leishmania infantum. The IC50 values for fisetin were obtained 0.283 and 0.102 μM against promastigotes and amastigote forms, respectively. Meglumine antimoniate (MA, Glucantime) as control drug also revealed IC50 values of 0.247 and 0.105 μM for promastigotes and amastigotes of L. infantum, respectively. In order to determine the mode of action of fisetin and Meglumine antimoniate (MA, Glucantime), the activities of arginase (ARG), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured. Moreover, intracellular glutathione (GSH) and nitric oxide (NO) levels in L. infantum-infected macrophages and L. infantum promastigotes which were treated with IC50 concentrations of fisetin, MA and Fi-MA were investigated. Our results showed that MA decreased CAT and SOD activity and increased NO levels in L. infantum-infected macrophages. In promastigotes, MA inhibited parasite SOD activity and reduced parasite NO production. The decreased levels of most of the antioxidant enzymes, accompanying by the raised level of NO in treated macrophages with MA, were observed to regain their normal profiles due to Fi-MA treatment. Furthermore, fisetin could prevent the growth of promastigotes by inhibition of ARG activity and reduction of GSH levels and NO production. In conclusion, these findings showed that fisetin improves MA side effects.

  2. Characterization of a subunit of the outer dynein arm docking complex necessary for correct flagellar assembly in Leishmania donovani.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simone Harder

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: In order to proceed through their life cycle, Leishmania parasites switch between sandflies and mammals. The flagellated promastigote cells transmitted by the insect vector are phagocytized by macrophages within the mammalian host and convert into the amastigote stage, which possesses a rudimentary flagellum only. During an earlier proteomic study of the stage differentiation of the parasite we identified a component of the outer dynein arm docking complex, a structure of the flagellar axoneme. The 70 kDa subunit of the outer dynein arm docking complex consists of three subunits altogether and is essential for the assembly of the outer dynein arm onto the doublet microtubule of the flagella. According to the nomenclature of the well-studied Chlamydomonas reinhardtii complex we named the Leishmania protein LdDC2. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: This study features a characterization of the protein over the life cycle of the parasite. It is synthesized exclusively in the promastigote stage and localizes to the flagellum. Gene replacement mutants of lddc2 show reduced growth rates and diminished flagellar length. Additionally, the normally spindle-shaped promastigote parasites reveal a more spherical cell shape giving them an amastigote-like appearance. The mutants lose their motility and wiggle in place. Ultrastructural analyses reveal that the outer dynein arm is missing. Furthermore, expression of the amastigote-specific A2 gene family was detected in the deletion mutants in the absence of a stage conversion stimulus. In vitro infectivity is slightly increased in the mutant cell line compared to wild-type Leishmania donovani parasites. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results indicate that the correct assembly of the flagellum has a great influence on the investigated characteristics of Leishmania parasites. The lack of a single flagellar protein causes an aberrant morphology, impaired growth and altered infectiousness of the parasite.

  3. In vitro permissiveness of bovine neutrophils and monocyte derived macrophages to Leishmania donovani of Ethiopian isolate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tasew, Geremew; Gadisa, Endalamaw; Abera, Adugna; Zewude, Aboma; Chanyalew, Menberework; Aseffa, Abraham; Abebe, Markos; Ritter, Uwe; van Zandbergen, Ger; Laskay, Tamás; Tafess, Ketema

    2016-04-18

    Epidemiological studies in Ethiopia have documented that the risk of visceral leishmaniasis (VL, Kala-azar) is higher among people living with domestic animals. The recent report on isolation of Leishmania donovani complex DNA and the detected high prevalence of anti-leishmanial antibodies in the blood of domestic animals further strengthen the potential role of domestic animals in the epidemiology of VL in Ethiopia. In mammalian hosts polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) and macrophages are the key immune cells influencing susceptibility or control of Leishmania infection. Thus to substantiate the possible role of cattle in VL transmission we investigate the permissiveness of bovine PMN and monocyte derived macrophages (MDM) for Leishmania (L.) donovani infection. Whole blood was collected from pure Zebu (Boss indicus) and their cross with Holstein Friesian cattle. L. donovani (MHOM/ET/67/HU3) wild and episomal green fluorescent protein (eGFP) labelled stationary stage promastigotes were co-incubated with whole blood and MDM to determine infection of these cells. Engulfment of promastigotes by the cells and their transformation to amastigote forms in MDM was studied with direct microscopy. Microscopy and flow cytometry were used to measure the infection rate while PCR-RLFP was used to confirm the infecting parasite. L. donovani infected bovine whole blood PMN in the presence of plasma factors and all cellular elements. Morphological examinations of stained cytospin smears revealed that PMN engulfed promastigotes. Similarly, we were able to show that bovine MDM can be infected by L. donovani, which transformed to amastigote forms in the cells. The in vitro infection of bovine PMN and MDM by L. donovani further strengthens the possibility that cattle might serve as source of L. donovani infection for humans.

  4. The flagellar protein FLAG1/SMP1 is a candidate for Leishmania-sand fly interaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di-Blasi, Tatiana; Lobo, Amanda R; Nascimento, Luanda M; Córdova-Rojas, Jose L; Pestana, Karen; Marín-Villa, Marcel; Tempone, Antonio J; Telleria, Erich L; Ramalho-Ortigão, Marcelo; McMahon-Pratt, Diane; Traub-Csekö, Yara M

    2015-03-01

    Leishmaniasis is a serious problem that affects mostly poor countries. Various species of Leishmania are the agents of the disease, which take different clinical manifestations. The parasite is transmitted by sandflies, predominantly from the Phlebotomus genus in the Old World and Lutzomyia in the New World. During development in the gut, Leishmania must survive various challenges, which include avoiding being expelled with blood remnants after digestion. It is believed that attachment to the gut epithelium is a necessary step for vector infection, and molecules from parasites and sand flies have been implicated in this attachment. In previous work, monoclonal antibodies were produced against Leishmania. Among these an antibody was obtained against Leishmania braziliensis flagella, which blocked the attachment of Leishmania panamensis flagella to Phlebotomus papatasi guts. The protein recognized by this antibody was identified and named FLAG1, and the complete FLAG1 gene sequence was obtained. This protein was later independently identified as a small, myristoylated protein and called SMP1, so from now on it will be denominated FLAG1/SMP1. The FLAG1/SMP1 gene is expressed in all developmental stages of the parasite, but has higher expression in promastigotes. The anti-FLAG1/SMP1 antibody recognized the flagellum of all Leishmania species tested and generated the expected band by western blots. This antibody was used in attachment and infection blocking experiments. Using the New World vector Lutzomyia longipalpis and Leishmania infantum chagasi, no inhibition of attachment ex vivo or infection in vivo was seen. On the other hand, when the Old World vectors P. papatasi and Leishmania major were used, a significant decrease of both attachment and infection were seen in the presence of the antibody. We propose that FLAG1/SMP1 is involved in the attachment/infection of Leishmania in the strict vector P. papatasi and not the permissive vector L. longipalpis.

  5. Experimental transmission of Leishmania infantum by two major vectors: a comparison between a viscerotropic and a dermotropic strain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maia, Carla; Seblova, Veronika; Sadlova, Jovana; Votypka, Jan; Volf, Petr

    2011-06-01

    We quantified Leishmania infantum parasites transmitted by natural vectors for the first time. Both L. infantum strains studied, dermotropic CUK3 and viscerotropic IMT373, developed well in Phlebotomus perniciosus and Lutzomyia longipalpis. They produced heavy late-stage infection and colonized the stomodeal valve, which is a prerequisite for successful transmission. Infected sand fly females, and especially those that transmit parasites, feed significantly longer on the host (1.5-1.8 times) than non-transmitting females. Quantitative PCR revealed that P. perniciosus harboured more CUK3 strain parasites, while in L. longipalpis the intensity of infection was higher for the IMT373 strain. However, in both sand fly species the parasite load transmitted was higher for the strain with dermal tropism (CUK3). All but one sand fly female infected by the IMT373 strain transmitted less than 600 promastigotes; in contrast, 29% of L. longipalpis and 14% of P. perniciosus infected with the CUK3 strain transmitted more than 1000 parasites. The parasite number transmitted by individual sand flies ranged from 4 up to 4.19×10(4) promastigotes; thus, the maximal natural dose found was still about 250 times lower than the experimental challenge dose used in previous studies. This finding emphasizes the importance of determining the natural infective dose for the development of an accurate experimental model useful for the evaluation of new drugs and vaccines.

  6. Evidence that leishmania donovani utilizes a mannose receptor on human mononuclear phagocytes to establish intracellular parasitism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilson, M.E.; Pearson, R.D.

    1986-01-01

    The pathogenic protozoan Leishmania donovani must gain entrance into mononuclear phagocytes to successfully parasitize man. The parasite's extracellular promastigote stage is ingested by human peripheral blood monocytes or monocyte-derived macrophages in the absence of serum, in a manner characteristic of receptor-mediated endocytosis. Remarkable similarities have been found between the macrophage receptor(s) for promastigotes and a previously characterized eucaryotic receptor system, the mannose/fucose receptor (MFR), that mediates the binding of zymosan particles and mannose- or fucose-terminal glycoconjugates to macrophages. Ingestion of promastigotes by monocyte-derived macrophages was inhibited by several MFR ligands; that is mannan, mannose-BSA and fucose-BSA. In contrast, promastigote ingestion by monocytes was unaffected by MFR ligands. Furthermore, attachment of promastigotes to macrophages, assessed by using cytochalasin D to prevent phagocytosis, was reduced 49.8% by mannan. Reorientation of the MFR to the ventral surface of the cell was achieved by plating macrophages onto mannan-coated coverslips, reducing MFR activity on the exposed cell surface by 94% as assessed by binding of 125 I-mannose-BSA. Under these conditions, ingestion of promastigotes was inhibited by 71.4%. Internalization of the MFR by exposure of macrophages to zymosan before infection with promastigotes resulted in a 62.3% decrease in parasite ingestion. Additionally, NH 4 Cl decreased macrophage ingestion of promastigotes by 38.2%. Subinhibitory concentration of NH 4 Cl (10 mM) and of mannan (0.25 mg/ml) together inhibited parsite ingestion by 76.4%

  7. Novel features of a PIWI-like protein homolog in the parasitic protozoan Leishmania.

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    Prasad K Padmanabhan

    Full Text Available In contrast to nearly all eukaryotes, the Old World Leishmania species L. infantum and L. major lack the bona fide RNAi machinery genes. Interestingly, both Leishmania genomes code for an atypical Argonaute-like protein that possesses a PIWI domain but lacks the PAZ domain found in Argonautes from RNAi proficient organisms. Using sub-cellular fractionation and confocal fluorescence microscopy, we show that unlike other eukaryotes, the PIWI-like protein is mainly localized in the single mitochondrion in Leishmania. To predict PIWI function, we generated a knockout mutant for the PIWI gene in both L. infantum (Lin and L. major species by double-targeted gene replacement. Depletion of PIWI has no effect on the viability of insect promastigote forms but leads to an important growth defect of the mammalian amastigote lifestage in vitro and significantly delays disease pathology in mice, consistent with a higher expression of the PIWI transcript in amastigotes. Moreover, amastigotes lacking PIWI display a higher sensitivity to apoptosis inducing agents than wild type parasites, suggesting that PIWI may be a sensor for apoptotic stimuli. Furthermore, a whole-genome DNA microarray analysis revealed that loss of LinPIWI in Leishmania amastigotes affects mostly the expression of specific subsets of developmentally regulated genes. Several transcripts encoding surface and membrane-bound proteins were found downregulated in the LinPIWI((-/- mutant whereas all histone transcripts were upregulated in the null mutant, supporting the possibility that PIWI plays a direct or indirect role in the stability of these transcripts. Although our data suggest that PIWI is not involved in the biogenesis or the stability of small noncoding RNAs, additional studies are required to gain further insights into the role of this protein on RNA regulation and amastigote development in Leishmania.

  8. Gentamicin-attenuated Leishmania infantum: a clinicopathological study in dogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daneshvar, Hamid; Molaei, Mohammad M; Afshar, Reza Malekpour; Kamiabi, Hosein; Burchmore, Richard; Hagan, Paul; Phillips, R Stephen

    2009-05-15

    The clinicopathological changes following infection with an attenuated line of Leishmania infantum (L. infantum H-line) were evaluated in mixed breed dogs. Two groups of dogs were infected intravenously (i.v.) or intradermally (i.d.) with L. infantum H-line and two control groups were infected i.v. or i.d. with L. infantum wild-type (L. infantum WT). None of the dogs, which were infected i.v. or i.d. with L. infantum H-line, showed any abnormalities during the observation period. In contrast, two out of three dogs, which were infected i.v. with L. infantum WT, developed clinical signs of disease. In addition, no histopathological changes were seen in the liver and spleen of the dogs infected with the attenuated line of parasite, whereas the histopathological changes in the two dogs infected i.v. with L. infantum WT were severe in form and manifested by infiltration of high numbers of inflammatory cells. No promastigotes were found in cultures set up from spleens and livers of dogs infected with L. infantum H-line at 12 months post-infection, whereas promastigotes were seen in the spleen and liver cultures from 2 dogs infected i.v. with L. infantum WT. Serum levels of total IgG anti-Leishmania antibody were raised in all dogs. The antibody level in the serum of dogs infected i.v. with L. infantum WT was higher than that in dogs infected with L. infantum H-line. These results show no clinicopathological abnormalities in the dogs infected with gentamicin-attenuated L. infantum H-line. Moreover, L. infantum H-line induced IgG anti-Leishmania antibody in the dogs.

  9. Identification of a secreted casein kinase 1 in Leishmania donovani: effect of protein over expression on parasite growth and virulence.

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    Mary Dan-Goor

    Full Text Available Casein kinase 1 (CK1 plays an important role in eukaryotic signaling pathways, and their substrates include key regulatory proteins involved in cell differentiation, proliferation and chromosome segregation. The Leishmania genome encodes six potential CK1 isoforms, of which five have orthologs in other trypanosomatidae. Leishmania donovani CK1 isoform 4 (Ldck1.4, orthologous to LmjF27.1780 is unique to Leishmania and contains a putative secretion signal peptide. The full-length gene and three shorter constructs were cloned and expressed in E. coli as His-tag proteins. Only the full-length 62.3 kDa protein showed protein kinase activity indicating that the N-terminal and C-terminal domains are essential for protein activity. LdCK1.4-FLAG was stably over expressed in L. donovani, and shown by immunofluorescence to be localized primarily in the cytosol. Western blotting using anti-FLAG and anti-CK1.4 antibodies showed that this CK1 isoform is expressed and secreted by promastigotes. Over expression of LdCK1.4 had a significant effect on promastigote growth in culture with these parasites growing to higher cell densities than the control parasites (wild-type or Ld:luciferase, P<0.001. Analysis by flow cytometry showed a higher percentage, ∼4-5-fold, of virulent metacyclic promastigotes on day 3 among the LdCK1.4 parasites. Finally, parasites over expressing LdCK1.4 gave significantly higher infections of mouse peritoneal macrophages compared to wild-type parasites, 28.6% versus 6.3%, respectively (p = 0.0005. These results suggest that LdCK1.4 plays an important role in parasite survival and virulence. Further studies are needed to validate CK1.4 as a therapeutic target in Leishmania.

  10. Host modulation by a parasite: how Leishmania infantum modifies the intestinal environment of Lutzomyia longipalpis to favor its development.

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    Vania Cristina Santos

    Full Text Available Some reports have described the interference of Leishmania on sand flies physiology, and such behavior most likely evolved to favor the development and transmission of the parasite. Most of these studies showed that Leishmania could modulate the level of proteases in the midgut after an infective blood meal, and decreased proteolytic activity is indeed beneficial for the development of promastigotes in the gut of sand flies. In the present study, we performed a detailed investigation of the intestinal pH in Lutzomyia longipalpis females naturally infected with Leishmania infantum and investigated the production of trypsin by these insects using different approaches. Our results allowed us to propose a mechanism by which these parasites interfere with the physiology of L. longipalpis to decrease the production of proteolytic enzymes. According to our hypothesis L. infantum promastigotes indirectly interfere with the production of trypsin by modulating the mechanism that controls the intestinal pH via the action of a yet non-identified substance released by promastigote forms inside the midgut. This substance is not an acid, whose action would be restrict on to release H+ to the medium, but is a substance that is able to interfere with midgut physiology through a mechanism involving pH control. According to our hypothesis, as the pH decreases, the proteolytic enzymes efficiency is also reduced, leading to a decline in the supply of amino acids to the enterocytes: this decline reduces the stimulus for protease production because it is regulated by the supply of amino acids, thus leading to a delay in digestion.

  11. Persistence of Leishmania antigen in C57Bl/6j inbred mice infected with Leishmania (Leishmania amazonensis Persistência do antígeno da Leishmania no camundongo isogênico C57Bl/6j infectado com a Leishmania (Leishmania amazonensis

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    C. Vasconcellos

    1999-07-01

    Full Text Available PURPOSE. To develop an animal model for studying mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. METHODS. The hind footpad of C57Bl/6j inbred mice was experimentally infected with 10(7 Leishmania (Leishmania amazonensis promastigote and the skin was studied through light and electron transmission microscopy and immunohistochemistry (PAP techniques. RESULTS. There were morphological evidences of cellular immune mechanisms and hypersensitivity reaction after eight weeks of infection and metastasis and well shaped parasites at ultrastructural level by fifty-one weeks post infection. Relapse of infection with mucosa lesions occurred around the 50th week after inoculation. CONCLUSION. The use of this animal model in long term follow up could be an useful experimental model for human mucocutaneous leishmaniasis.OBJETIVO. Desenvolver um modelo experimental para o estudo da leishmaniose cutâneo-mucosa. MÉTODOS. O coxim plantar traseiro de camundongos isogênicos C57Bl/6j foi inoculado com 10(7 formas promastigotas da Leishmania (Leishmania amazonensis e a pele foi estudada através da microscopia óptica e eletrônica e de técnica imunohistoquímica (PAP. RESULTADOS. Ocorreram evidências morfológicas de mecanismos imunes mediados por células, concomitantemente ao de reação de hipersensibilidade, após a oitava semana de infecção e a presença de parasitas com ultraestrutura preservada na quinquagésima primeira semana após a infecção. Houve recidiva da infecção com surgimento de lesões mucosas por volta da 50a semana pós inoculação. CONCLUSÃO. Este modelo animal, com um período de tempo de seguimento prolongado, poderia ser empregado como modelo para o estudo experimental da leishmaniose cutâneo-mucosa.

  12. Effect of ionizing radiation on the morphology, physiology and growth of Leishmania ssp

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bonetti, Franco C.; Spencer, Patrick J.; Nascimento, Nanci do; Junior A, Heitor F.

    2000-01-01

    The Leishmania spp is a pathogenic protozoan, which cause different diseases in man. The human diseases, in America, caused by this group of protozoa are divided in cutaneous or tegumentar and visceral, known as kala-azar. In this work, our principal study object was the specie that causes tegumentar leishmaniasis, in Brazil. Metabolic studies of cellular respiration and proteins and nucleic acids synthesis were accomplished using radiation as a form of sterilizing the parasites without however affecting their immunogenic capacity The promastigotes forms of irradiated Leishmania spp were totally sterilized with the dose of 1500 Gy, with their reproductive and nucleic acids, as well as protein synthesis capacity blocked. (author)

  13. Lipid Droplet Formation, Their Localization and Dynamics during Leishmania major Macrophage Infection.

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    Sameh Rabhi

    Full Text Available Leishmania, the causative agent of vector-borne diseases, known as leishmaniases, is an obligate intracellular parasite within mammalian hosts. The outcome of infection depends largely on the activation status of macrophages, the first line of mammalian defense and the major target cells for parasite replication. Understanding the strategies developed by the parasite to circumvent macrophage defense mechanisms and to survive within those cells help defining novel therapeutic approaches for leishmaniasis. We previously showed the formation of lipid droplets (LDs in L. major infected macrophages. Here, we provide novel insights on the origin of the formed LDs by determining their cellular distribution and to what extent these high-energy sources are directed to the proximity of Leishmania parasites. We show that the ability of L. major to trigger macrophage LD accumulation is independent of parasite viability and uptake and can also be observed in non-infected cells through paracrine stimuli suggesting that LD formation is from cellular origin. The accumulation of LDs is demonstrated using confocal microscopy and live-cell imagin in parasite-free cytoplasmic region of the host cell, but also promptly recruited to the proximity of Leishmania parasites. Indeed LDs are observed inside parasitophorous vacuole and in parasite cytoplasm suggesting that Leishmania parasites besides producing their own LDs, may take advantage of these high energy sources. Otherwise, these LDs may help cells defending against parasitic infection. These metabolic changes, rising as common features during the last years, occur in host cells infected by a large number of pathogens and seem to play an important role in pathogenesis. Understanding how Leishmania parasites and different pathogens exploit this LD accumulation will help us define the common mechanism used by these different pathogens to manipulate and/or take advantage of this high-energy source.

  14. In Vitro Antiparasitic and Apoptotic Effects of Antimony Sulfide Nanoparticles on Leishmania infantum

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    Saied Soflaei

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Visceral leishmaniasis is one of the most important sever diseases in tropical and subtropical countries. In the present study the effects of antimony sulfide nanoparticles on Leishmania infantum in vitro were evaluated. Antimony sulfide NPs (Sb2S5 were synthesized by biological method from Serratia marcescens bacteria. Then the cytotoxicity effects of different concentrations (5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 μg/mL of this nanoparticle were assessed on promastigote and amastigote stages of L. infantum. MTT method was used for verification results of promastigote assay. Finally, the percentages of apoptotic, necrotic, and viable cells were determined by flow cytometry. The results indicated the positive effectiveness of antimony sulfide NPs on proliferation of promastigote form. The IC50 (50% inhibitory concentration of antimony sulfide NPs on promastigotes was calculated 50 μg/mL. The cytotoxicity effect was dose-dependent means by increasing the concentration of antimony sulfide NPs, the cytotoxicity curve was raised and the viability curve of the parasite dropped simultaneously. Moreover, the IC50 of antimony sulfide NPs on amastigote stage was calculated 25 μg/mL. On the other hand, however, antimony sulfide NPs have a low cytotoxicity effect on uninfected macrophages but it can induce apoptosis in promastigote stage at 3 of 4 concentrations.

  15. In Vitro Inhibitory Effect of Berberis vulgaris (Berberidaceae) and Its Main Component, Berberine against Different Leishmania Species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahmoudvand, Hossein; Sharififar, Fariba; Sharifi, Iraj; Ezatpour, Behrouz; Fasihi Harandi, Majid; Makki, Mahsa Sadat; Zia-Ali, Naser; Jahanbakhsh, Sareh

    2014-03-01

    Leishmaniasis has been identified as a major public health problem in tropical and sub-tropical countries. The present study was aimed to investigate antileishmanial effects of various extracts of Berberis vulgaris also its active compoenent, berberine against Leishmania tropica and L. infantum species on in vitro experiments. In this study in vitro antileishmanial activity of various extracts of B. vulgaris also its active compoenent, berberine against promastigote and amastigote stages of L. tropica and L. infantum was evaluated, using MTT assay and in a macrophage model, respectively. Furthermore, infectivity rate and cytotoxicity effects of B. vulgaris and berberine in murine macrophage cells were investigated. The findings of optical density (OD) and IC50 indicated that B. vulgaris particulary berberine significantly (P<0.05) inhibited the growth rate of promastigote stage of L.tropica and L.infantum in comparison to meglumine antimoniate (MA). In addition, B. vulgaris and berberine significantly (P<0.05) decreased the mean number of amastigotes in each macrophage as compared with positive control. In the evaluation of cytotoxicity effects, it could be observed that berberine as compared with B. vulgaris exhibited more cytotoxicity against murine macrophages. Results also showed that when parasites were pre-incubated with B. vulgaris their ability to infect murine macrophages was significantly decreased. B.vulgaris particularly berberine exhibited potent in vitro leishmanicidal effects against L. tropica and L.infantum. Further works are required to evaluate the antileishmanial effects of B.vulgaris on Leishmania species using clinical settings.

  16. In Vitro Inhibitory Effect of Berberis vulgaris (Berberidaceae and Its Main Component, Berberine against Different Leishmania Species.

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    Hossein Mahmoudvand

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Leishmaniasis has been identified as a major public health problem in tropical and sub-tropical countries. The present study was aimed to investigate antileishmanial effects of various extracts of Berberis vulgaris also its active compoenent, berberine against Leishmania tropica and L. infantum species on in vitro experiments.In this study in vitro antileishmanial activity of various extracts of B. vulgaris also its active compoenent, berberine against promastigote and amastigote stages of L. tropica and L. infantum was evaluated, using MTT assay and in a macrophage model, respectively. Furthermore, infectivity rate and cytotoxicity effects of B. vulgaris and berberine in murine macrophage cells were investigated.The findings of optical density (OD and IC50 indicated that B. vulgaris particulary berberine significantly (P<0.05 inhibited the growth rate of promastigote stage of L.tropica and L.infantum in comparison to meglumine antimoniate (MA. In addition, B. vulgaris and berberine significantly (P<0.05 decreased the mean number of amastigotes in each macrophage as compared with positive control. In the evaluation of cytotoxicity effects, it could be observed that berberine as compared with B. vulgaris exhibited more cytotoxicity against murine macrophages. Results also showed that when parasites were pre-incubated with B. vulgaris their ability to infect murine macrophages was significantly decreased.B.vulgaris particularly berberine exhibited potent in vitro leishmanicidal effects against L. tropica and L.infantum. Further works are required to evaluate the antileishmanial effects of B.vulgaris on Leishmania species using clinical settings.

  17. Lutzomyia migonei is a permissive vector competent for Leishmania infantum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guimarães, Vanessa Cristina Fitipaldi Veloso; Pruzinova, Katerina; Sadlova, Jovana; Volfova, Vera; Myskova, Jitka; Filho, Sinval Pinto Brandão; Volf, Petr

    2016-03-17

    Leishmania infantum is the most widespread etiological agent of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the world, with significant mortality rates in human cases. In Latin America, this parasite is primarily transmitted by Lutzomyia longipalpis, but the role of Lutzomyia migonei as a potential vector for this protozoan has been discussed. Laboratory and field investigations have contributed to this hypothesis; however, proof of the vector competence of L. migonei has not yet been provided. In this study, we evaluate for the first time the susceptibility of L. migonei to L. infantum. Females of laboratory-reared L. migonei were fed through a chick-skin membrane on rabbit blood containing L. infantum promastigotes, dissected at 1, 5 and 8 days post-infection (PI) and checked microscopically for the presence, intensity and localisation of Leishmania infections. In addition, morphometric analysis of L. infantum promastigotes was performed. High infection rates of both L. infantum strains tested were observed in L. migonei, with colonisation of the stomodeal valve already on day 5 PI. At the late-stage infection, most L. migonei females had their cardia and stomodeal valve colonised by high numbers of parasites, and no significant differences were found compared to the development in L. longipalpis. Metacyclic forms were found in all parasite-vector combinations since day 5 PI. We propose that Lutzomyia migonei belongs to sand fly species permissive to various Leishmania spp. Here we demonstrate that L. migonei is highly susceptible to the development of L. infantum. This, together with its known anthropophily, abundance in VL foci and natural infection by L. infantum, constitute important evidence that L. migonei is another vector of this parasite in Latin America.

  18. High Resolution Melting Analysis Targeting hsp70 as a Fast and Efficient Method for the Discrimination of Leishmania Species.

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    Ricardo Andrade Zampieri

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania cause a large spectrum of clinical manifestations known as Leishmaniases. These diseases are increasingly important public health problems in many countries both within and outside endemic regions. Thus, an accurate differential diagnosis is extremely relevant for understanding epidemiological profiles and for the administration of the best therapeutic protocol.Exploring the High Resolution Melting (HRM dissociation profiles of two amplicons using real time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR targeting heat-shock protein 70 coding gene (hsp70 revealed differences that allowed the discrimination of genomic DNA samples of eight Leishmania species found in the Americas, including Leishmania (Leishmania infantum chagasi, L. (L. amazonensis, L. (L. mexicana, L. (Viannia lainsoni, L. (V. braziliensis, L. (V. guyanensis, L. (V. naiffi and L. (V. shawi, and three species found in Eurasia and Africa, including L. (L. tropica, L. (L. donovani and L. (L. major. In addition, we tested DNA samples obtained from standard promastigote culture, naturally infected phlebotomines, experimentally infected mice and clinical human samples to validate the proposed protocol.HRM analysis of hsp70 amplicons is a fast and robust strategy that allowed for the detection and discrimination of all Leishmania species responsible for the Leishmaniases in Brazil and Eurasia/Africa with high sensitivity and accuracy. This method could detect less than one parasite per reaction, even in the presence of host DNA.

  19. High Resolution Melting Analysis Targeting hsp70 as a Fast and Efficient Method for the Discrimination of Leishmania Species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zampieri, Ricardo Andrade; Laranjeira-Silva, Maria Fernanda; Muxel, Sandra Marcia; Stocco de Lima, Ana Carolina; Shaw, Jeffrey Jon; Floeter-Winter, Lucile Maria

    2016-02-01

    Protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania cause a large spectrum of clinical manifestations known as Leishmaniases. These diseases are increasingly important public health problems in many countries both within and outside endemic regions. Thus, an accurate differential diagnosis is extremely relevant for understanding epidemiological profiles and for the administration of the best therapeutic protocol. Exploring the High Resolution Melting (HRM) dissociation profiles of two amplicons using real time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) targeting heat-shock protein 70 coding gene (hsp70) revealed differences that allowed the discrimination of genomic DNA samples of eight Leishmania species found in the Americas, including Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi, L. (L.) amazonensis, L. (L.) mexicana, L. (Viannia) lainsoni, L. (V.) braziliensis, L. (V.) guyanensis, L. (V.) naiffi and L. (V.) shawi, and three species found in Eurasia and Africa, including L. (L.) tropica, L. (L.) donovani and L. (L.) major. In addition, we tested DNA samples obtained from standard promastigote culture, naturally infected phlebotomines, experimentally infected mice and clinical human samples to validate the proposed protocol. HRM analysis of hsp70 amplicons is a fast and robust strategy that allowed for the detection and discrimination of all Leishmania species responsible for the Leishmaniases in Brazil and Eurasia/Africa with high sensitivity and accuracy. This method could detect less than one parasite per reaction, even in the presence of host DNA.

  20. Mapa del proteoma de parásitos de Leishmania Viannia a partir de electroforesis de geles de poliacramida en dos dimensiones y otras técnicas asociadas

    OpenAIRE

    Rafael Góngora; Nathalie Acestor; Manfredo Quadroni; Nicolas Fasel; Nancy G. Saravia; John Walker

    2003-01-01

    En este estudio demostramos el potencial de la electroforesis en dos dimensiones (2DE) como herramienta para la caracterización del proteoma de Leishmania (expresión proteica complementaria del genoma). Los proteomas por 2DE en el rango neutro (pH 5-7) de extractos solubles de promastigotes de Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis y Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis fueron reproducibles usando tampón de lisis de urea y nonidet P-40. Con la tinción de azul de Coomassie y nitrato de plata se detectaron...

  1. Natural infection of Lutzomyia neivai and Lutzomyia sallesi (Diptera: Psychodidae) by Leishmania infantum chagasi in Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saraiva, Lara; Carvalho, Gustavo M L; Gontijo, Célia M F; Quaresma, Patrícia F; Lima, Ana C V M R; Falcão, Alda L; Andrade Filho, José D

    2009-09-01

    Natural infections with Leishmania were found in females of the phlebotomine sand flies Lutzomyia neivai (Pinto) (= Nyssomyia neivai) and Lutzomyia sallesi (Galvão & Coutinho) (= Evandromyia sallesi) (Diptera: Psychodidae) from Lassance, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Promastigotes were found in the pyloric region of the former species and in the abdominal midgut of the latter species. Insects found to be infected by microscopic examination were macerated in saline solution and inoculated into hamsters. Subsequent analysis by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism revealed both isolates to belong to the species Leishmania infantum chagasi Cunha & Chagas.

  2. Nerolidol, the main constituent of Piper aduncum essential oil, has anti-Leishmania braziliensis activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ceole, Ligia Fernanda; Cardoso, Maria DAS Graças; Soares, Maurilio José

    2017-08-01

    Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis is a protozoan that causes mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, which is an infectious disease that affects more than 12 million people worldwide. The available treatment is limited, has side-effects or is inefficient. In a search for alternative compounds of natural origin, we tested the microbicidal activity of Piper aduncum essential oil (PaEO) on this parasite. Our data showed that PaEO had an inhibitory effect on the growth of L. braziliensis promastigotes with an IC50/24 h=77·9 µg mL-1. The main constituent (nerolidol: 25·22%) presented a similar inhibitory effect (IC50/24 h = 74·3 µg mL-1). Ultrastructural observation of nerolidol-treated parasites by scanning and transmission electron microscopies revealed cell shrinkage and morphological alterations in the mitochondrion, nuclear chromatin and flagellar pocket. Flow cytometry analysis showed a reduction in the cell size, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, phosphatidylserine exposure and DNA degradation, which when associated with the morphological changes indicated that nerolidol induced incidental cell death in the L. braziliensis promastigotes. The results presented here indicate that nerolidol derivatives are promising compounds for further evaluation against Leishmania parasites.

  3. Identification of a RAC/AKT-like gene in Leishmania parasites as a putative therapeutic target in leishmaniasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varela-M, Rubén E; Ochoa, Rodrigo; Muskus, Carlos E; Muro, Antonio; Mollinedo, Faustino

    2017-10-10

    Leishmaniasis is one of the world's most neglected diseases caused by at least 20 different species of the protozoan parasite Leishmania. Although new drugs have become recently available, current therapy for leishmaniasis is still unsatisfactory. A subgroup of serine/threonine protein kinases named as related to A and C protein kinases (RAC), or protein kinase B (PKB)/AKT, has been identified in several organisms including Trypanosoma cruzi parasites. PKB/AKT plays a critical role in mammalian cell signaling promoting cell survival and is a major drug target in cancer therapy. However, the role of protozoan parasitic PKB/AKT remains to be elucidated. We have found that anti-human AKT antibodies recognized a protein of about 57 kDa in Leishmania spp. parasites. Anti-human phospho-AKT(Thr308) antibodies identified a protein in extracts from Leishmania spp. that was upregulated following parasite exposure to stressful conditions, such as nutrient deprivation or heat shock. Incubation of AKT inhibitor X with Leishmania spp. promastigotes under stressful conditions or with Leishmania-infected macrophages led to parasite cell death. We have identified and cloned a novel gene from Leishmania donovani named Ld-RAC/AKT-like gene, encoding a 510-amino acid protein of approximately 57.6 kDa that shows a 26.5% identity with mammalian AKT1. Ld-RAC/AKT-like protein contains major mammalian PKB/AKT hallmarks, including the typical pleckstrin, protein kinase and AGC kinase domains. Unlike mammalian AKT that contains key phosphorylation sites at Thr308 and Ser473 in the activation loop and hydrophobic motif, respectively, Ld-RAC/AKT-like protein has a Thr residue in both motifs. By domain sequence comparison, we classified AKT proteins from different origins in four major subcategories that included different parasites. Our data suggest that Ld-RAC/AKT-like protein represents a Leishmania orthologue of mammalian AKT involved in parasite stress response and survival, and

  4. L-Asparaginase of Leishmania donovani: Metabolic target and its role in Amphotericin B resistance

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    Jasdeep Singh

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Emergence of Amphotericin B (AmB resistant Leishmania donovani has posed major therapeutic challenge against the parasite. Consequently, combination therapy aimed at multiple molecular targets, based on proteome wise network analysis has been recommended. In this regard we had earlier identified and proposed L-asparaginase of Leishmania donovani (LdAI as a crucial metabolic target. Here we report that both LdAI overexpressing axenic amastigote and promastigote forms of L. donovani survives better when challenged with AmB as compared to wild type strain. Conversely, qRT-PCR analysis showed an upregulation of LdAI in both forms upon AmB treatment. Our data demonstrates the importance of LdAI in imparting immediate protective response to the parasite upon AmB treatment. In the absence of structural and functional information, we modeled LdAI and validated its solution structure through small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS analysis. We identified its specific inhibitors through ligand and structure-based approach and characterized their effects on enzymatic properties (Km, Vmax, Kcat of LdAI. We show that in presence of two of the inhibitors L1 and L2, the survival of L. donovani is compromised whereas overexpression of LdAI in these cells restores viability. Taken together, our results conclusively prove that LdAI is a crucial metabolic enzyme conferring early counter measure against AmB treatment by Leishmania. Keywords: Leishmania donovani, L-asparaginase, Amphotericin B resistance, Metabolic target

  5. Kinetics of growth of Leishmania (Leishmania chagasi cycle in McCoy cell culture Cinéticas de crescimento do ciclo da Leishmania (Leishmania chagasi em cultura de células McCoy

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    Yeda L. Nogueira

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available The kinetics of growth of Leishmania performed in vitro after internalization of the promastigote form in the cell and the occurrence of the transformation of the parasite into the amastigote form have been described by several authors. They used explants of macrophages in hamster spleen cell culture or in a human macrophage lineage cell, the U937. Using microscopy, the description of morphologic inter-relationship and the analysis of the production of specific molecules, it has been possible to define some of the peculiarities of the biology of the parasite. The present study shows the growth cycle of Leishmania chagasi during the observation of kinetic analysis undertaken with a McCoy cell lineage that lasted for a period of 144 hours. During the process, the morphologic transformation was revealed by indirect immunofluorescence (IF and the molecules liberated in the extra cellular medium were observed by SDS-PAGE at 24-hour intervals during the whole 144-hour period. It was observed that in the first 72 hours the promastigote form of L. chagasi adhered to the cell membranes and assumed a rounded (amastigote-like form. At 96 hours the infected cells showed morphologic alterations; at 120 hours the cells had liberated soluble fluorescent antigens into the extra cellular medium. At 144 hours, new elongated forms of the parasites, similar to promastigotes, were observed. In the SDS-PAGE, specific molecular weight proteins were observed at each point of the kinetic analysis showing that the McCoy cell imitates the macrophage and may be considered a useful model for the study of the infection of the Leishmania/cell binomial.Cinéticas de crescimento de Leishmania realizadas in vitro após a internalização da forma promastigota na célula e a ocorrência da transformação do parasito na forma amastigota foram descritas por vários autores, seja com a utilização de explantes de macrófagos em células de baço de hamster ou atualmente da c

  6. Page Header USER Username Password Remember me Login FONT SIZE Make font size smallerMake font size defaultMake font size larger Journal Help NOTIFICATIONS View Subscribe JOURNAL CONTENT Search Search Scope Search Browse By Issue By Author By Title INFORMATION For Authors ARTICLE TOOLS Print this article Indexing metadata How to cite item Finding References Email this article (Login required) Email the author (Login required) KEYWORDS Angiogenesis Antibacterial activity Catalase Cytotoxicity. Endostatin Fritillaria imperialis, Traditional Persian Medicine, Hakim Momen Tonekaboni Herbs Hydatidosis Ischemia Liver Matrix solid-phase dispersion, HPLC, Ellagic acid, Pomegranate Nectaroscordum tripedale Nigella sativa L. Nigella sativa, Black cumin, Artemia salina, Cytotoxicity, Essential oil Olive leaf extract Renal Reperfusion Satureja khuzestanica essential oil, Leishmania major, Macrophage, Amastigote, Promastigote Scolicidal effect Superoxide dismutase Surgery HOME ABOUT LOGIN REGISTER SEARCH CURRENT ARCHIVES ANNOUNCEMENTS ONLINE SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS FOR AUTHORS INDEXING & ABSTRACTING ##LORESTAN UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES## Home > Vol 1, No 1(December 2016) > Kheirandish THE CYTOTOXIC AND ANTILEISHMANIAL EFFECTS OF SATUREJA KHUZESTANICA ESSENTIAL OIL

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    Farnaz Kheirandish; Rouzbeh Chegeni; Bahram Delfan; Mahboubeh Jabari; Farzad Ebrahimzadeh; Marzieh Rashidipour

    2017-01-01

    Background and Aim: Leishmaniasis is endemic in 98 countries including Iran. Pentavalent antimony compounds resistance as first-line therapy is increasing in some local areas. Also side effects of these drugs are limited at the beginning of treatment, but the toxicity increases with time. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of Satureja khuzestanica essential oil (SKEO) on promastigote and amastigote Leishmania major forms. Materials and Methods: The components of S. khuzestanic...

  7. In vitro and in vivo efficacy of ether lipid edelfosine against Leishmania spp. and SbV-resistant parasites.

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    Rubén E Varela-M

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The leishmaniases are a complex of neglected tropical diseases caused by more than 20 Leishmania parasite species, for which available therapeutic arsenal is scarce and unsatisfactory. Pentavalent antimonials (SbV are currently the first-line pharmacologic therapy for leishmaniasis worldwide, but resistance to these compounds is increasingly reported. Alkyl-lysophospoholipid analogs (ALPs constitute a family of compounds with antileishmanial activity, and one of its members, miltefosine, has been approved as the first oral treatment for visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis. However, its clinical use can be challenged by less impressive efficiency in patients infected with some Leishmania species, including L. braziliensis and L. mexicana, and by proneness to develop drug resistance in vitro. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We found that ALPs ranked edelfosine>perifosine>miltefosine>erucylphosphocholine for their antileishmanial activity and capacity to promote apoptosis-like parasitic cell death in promastigote and amastigote forms of distinct Leishmania spp., as assessed by proliferation and flow cytometry assays. Effective antileishmanial ALP concentrations were dependent on both the parasite species and their development stage. Edelfosine accumulated in and killed intracellular Leishmania parasites within macrophages. In vivo antileishmanial activity was demonstrated following oral treatment with edelfosine of mice and hamsters infected with L. major, L. panamensis or L. braziliensis, without any significant side-effect. Edelfosine also killed SbV-resistant Leishmania parasites in in vitro and in vivo assays, and required longer incubation times than miltefosine to generate drug resistance. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our data reveal that edelfosine is the most potent ALP in killing different Leishmania spp., and it is less prone to lead to drug resistance development than miltefosine. Edelfosine is effective in killing Leishmania

  8. Differentiation of Leishmania species by FT-IR spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguiar, Josafá C.; Mittmann, Josane; Ferreira, Isabelle; Ferreira-Strixino, Juliana; Raniero, Leandro

    2015-05-01

    Leishmaniasis is a parasitic infectious disease caused by protozoa that belong to the genus Leishmania. It is transmitted by the bite of an infected female Sand fly. The disease is endemic in 88 countries Desjeux (2001) [1] (16 developed countries and 72 developing countries) on four continents. In Brazil, epidemiological data show the disease is present in all Brazilian regions, with the highest incidences in the North and Northeast. There are several methods used to diagnose leishmaniasis, but these procedures have many limitations, are time consuming, have low sensitivity, and are expensive. In this context, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis has the potential to provide rapid results and may be adapted for a clinical test with high sensitivity and specificity. In this work, FT-IR was used as a tool to investigate the promastigotes of Leishmaniaamazonensis, Leishmaniachagasi, and Leishmaniamajor species. The spectra were analyzed by cluster analysis and deconvolution procedure base on spectra second derivatives. Results: cluster analysis found four specific regions that are able to identify the Leishmania species. The dendrogram representation clearly indicates the heterogeneity among Leishmania species. The band deconvolution done by the curve fitting in these regions quantitatively differentiated the polysaccharides, amide III, phospholipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. L. chagasi and L. major showed a greater biochemistry similarity and have three bands that were not registered in L. amazonensis. The L. amazonensis presented three specific bands that were not recorded in the other two species. It is evident that the FT-IR method is an indispensable tool to discriminate these parasites. The high sensitivity and specificity of this technique opens up the possibilities for further studies about characterization of other microorganisms.

  9. An effective in vitro and in vivo antileishmanial activity and mechanism of action of 8-hydroxyquinoline against Leishmania species causing visceral and tegumentary leishmaniasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costa Duarte, Mariana; dos Reis Lage, Letícia Martins; Lage, Daniela Pagliara; Mesquita, Juliana Tonini; Salles, Beatriz Cristina Silveira; Lavorato, Stefânia Neiva; Menezes-Souza, Daniel; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Alves, Ricardo José; Tavares, Carlos Alberto Pereira; Tempone, André Gustavo; Coelho, Eduardo Antonio Ferraz

    2016-02-15

    The development of new therapeutic strategies to treat leishmaniasis has become a priority. In the present study, the antileishmanial activity of 8-hydroxyquinoline (8-HQN) was investigated against in vitro promastigotes and in vivo intra-macrophage amastigotes of three Leishmania species: Leishmania amazonensis, Leishmania infantum and Leishmania braziliensis. Studies were performed to establish the 50% Leishmania inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 8-HQN, as well as its 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50) on murine macrophages and in human red blood cells. The inhibition of macrophages infection was also evaluated using parasites that were pre-treated with 8-HQN. The effects of this compound on nitric oxide (NO) production and in the mitochondrial membrane potential were also evaluated. Finally, the therapeutic efficacy of 8-HQN was assessed in a known murine model, L. amazonensis-chronically infected BALB/c mice. Our results showed that 8-HQN was effective against promastigote and amastigote stages of all tested Leishmania species, presenting a selectivity index of 328.0, 62.0 and 47.0 for L. amazonensis, L. infantum and L. braziliensis, respectively. It was effective in treating infected macrophages, as well as in preventing the infection of these cells using pre-treated parasites. In addition, 8-HQN caused an alteration in the mitochondrial membrane potential of the parasites. When administered at 10mg/kg body weight/day by subcutaneous route, this product was effective in reducing the lesion diameter, as well as the parasite load in evaluated tissues and organs of infected animals. The results showed the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of 8-HQN against three different Leishmania species causing tegumentary and/or visceral leishmaniasis, and it could well be used for future therapeutic optimization studies to treat leishmaniasis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Preparation of highly infective Leishmania promastigotes by cultivation on SNB-9 biphasic medium

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Grekov, Igor; Svobodová, M.; Nohýnková, E.; Lipoldová, Marie

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 87, č. 3 (2011), s. 273-277 ISSN 0167-7012 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LC06009; GA ČR GA310/08/1697 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520514 Keywords : Leishmania * SNB-9 * biphasic culture medium * parasite infectivity Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 2.086, year: 2011

  11. The pathology of cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania major in Sudan

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gaafar, A; el Kadaro, A Y; Theander, T G

    1995-01-01

    The pathology of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Sudan, where the disease is caused by Leishmania major, was studied by light and electron microscopy. Lesions were classified into four distinct groups based on the ratio of different cell types, especially lymphocytes, macrophages, and plasma cells...

  12. Synthesis and Comparison of In Vitro Leishmanicidal Activity of 5-(Nitroheteroaryl-1, 3, 4-Thiadiazols Containing Cyclic Amine of Piperidin-4-ol at C-2 with Acyclic Amine Analogues against Iranian Strain of Leishmania major (MRHO/IR/75/ER

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    Azar Tahghighi

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL is endemic in many tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Due to the prolonged duration of therapy, adverse effect and resistance to current drugs in the treatment of CL, the dis­covery of novel, efficient, and safe leishmanicidal drugs is required. The aims of the present study was to synthesis of new compounds based on the active compounds of 5-(5-nitrofuran-2-yl- and 5-(5-nitrothiophen-2-yl-1,3,4-thia­diazole bearing the linear amino alcohol of 3-aminopropan-1-ol in the C-2 position of thiadiazole ring and evaluation of their activity against the promastigote and amastigote forms of Leishmania major.Methods: Reaction between the solution of 5-(5-nitro heteroaryl-2-chloro-1, 3, 4-thiadiazole and piperidin-4-ol in absolute ethanol was performed and the resulting products were evaluated against promastigotes form of L. major with MTT assay and amastigote form of L. major in murine peritoneal macrophages. In addition, the toxicity of these compounds was assessed against mouse peritoneal macrophages with MTT assay.Results: New synthetic compounds 5a-b showed moderate in vitro antileishmanial activity against L. major pro­mastigotes with IC50 values of 68.9 and 27 µM, respectively. These compounds have also demonstrated a good antiamastigote activity in terms of amastigote number per macrophage, the percentage of macrophage infectivity and infectivity index.Conclusion: Novel cyclic compounds 5a-b were synthesized and exhibited less antipromastigote and antiamastigote activity compared to linear analogues.

  13. Effects of seco-steroids purified from Physalis angulata L., Solanaceae, on the viability of Leishmania sp Efeitos de seco-esteróides purificados de Physalis angulata L., Solanaceae na viabilidade de Leishmania sp

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    Elisalva T. Guimarães

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Physalis angulata L., Solanaceae, is an annual herb commonly used in popular medicine in many tropical and subtropical countries. P. angulata extracts contain a variety of substances, but little is known about their pharmacological activities. In this work we investigated the in vitro antileishmanial activity of seco-steroids (physalins purified from P. angulata. Addition of physalins B, F, and G caused a concentration-dependent inhibition in the growth of L. amazonensis promastigotes, being the IC50 values were 6.8, 1.4, and 9.2 μM, respectively. Physalin D was less active and had an IC50 value of 30.5 μM. Physalins were also active in cultures of other Leishmania species (L. major, L. braziliensis, and L. chagasi. Our results demonstrate the potent antileishmanial activity of physalins in cultures of Leishmania species of the New and Old Worlds and suggest the therapeutic potential of these seco-steroids in leishmaniasis.Physalis angulata L., Solanaceae, é uma erva anual utilizada na medicina popular em muitos países tropicais e subtropicais. Apesar dos extratos da P. angulata apresentarem uma grande variedade de substâncias, pouco é conhecido sobre a sua atividade farmacológica. Neste trabalho foi investigado a atividade antileishmania in vitro de seco-esteroides (fisalinas purificados da P. angulata. O tratamento com as fisalinas B, F e G causou uma inibição concentração-dependente do crescimento de promastigotas de Leishmania amazonensis em cultura axênica, com valores de IC50 de 6,8, 1,4, e 9,2 μM respectivamente. A fisalina D foi menos ativa, com valores de IC50 de 30,5 μM. Foi também observada uma atividade leishmanicida em culturas de outras espécies de Leishmania (L. major, L. braziliensis e L. chagasi. Nossos resultados demonstram que as fisalinas inibem o crescimento dos promastigotas com o tratamento de espécies de Leishmania do Velho e do Novo Mundos e sugerem o potencial terapêutico destas moléculas na

  14. Enhancement of immune response induced by DNA vaccine cocktail expressing complete LACK and TSA genes against Leishmania major.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghaffarifar, Fatemeh; Jorjani, Ogholniaz; Sharifi, Zohreh; Dalimi, Abdolhossein; Hassan, Zuhair M; Tabatabaie, Fatemeh; Khoshzaban, Fariba; Hezarjaribi, Hajar Ziaei

    2013-04-01

    Leishmaniasis is an important disease in humans. Leishmania homologue of receptor for Activated C Kinase (LACK) and thiol specific antioxidant (TSA) as immuno-dominant antigens of Leishmania major are considered the most promising molecules for a DNA vaccine. We constructed a DNA cocktail, containing plasmids encoding LACK and TSA genes of Leishmania major and evaluated the immune response and survival rate in BALB/c mice. IgG and Interferon gamma values were noticeably increased in the immunized group with DNA cocktail vaccine, which were significantly higher than those in the single-gene vaccinated and control groups (p 0.05). The immunized mice with the cocktail DNA vaccine presented a considerable reduction in diameter of lesion compared to other groups and a significant difference was observed (p < 0.05) in this regard. The survival time of the immunized mice with the cocktail DNA vaccine was significantly higher than that in the other groups (p < 0.05) after their being challenged with Leishmania major. The findings of this study indicated that the cocktail DNA vaccine increased the cellular response and survival rate and induced protection against infection with Leishmania in the mice. © 2012 The Authors © 2012 APMIS.

  15. Detection and molecular identification of leishmania RNA virus (LRV) in Iranian Leishmania species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hajjaran, Homa; Mahdi, Maryam; Mohebali, Mehdi; Samimi-Rad, Katayoun; Ataei-Pirkooh, Angila; Kazemi-Rad, Elham; Naddaf, Saied Reza; Raoofian, Reza

    2016-12-01

    Leishmania RNA virus (LRV) was first detected in members of the subgenus Leishmania (Viannia), and later, the virulence and metastasis of the New World species were attributed to this virus. The data on the presence of LRV in Old World species are confined to Leishmania major and a few Leishmania aethiopica isolates. The aim of this study was to survey the presence of LRV in various Iranian Leishmania species originating from patients and animal reservoir hosts. Genomic nucleic acids were extracted from 50 cultured isolates belonging to the species Leishmania major, Leishmania tropica, and Leishmania infantum. A partial sequence of the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene was amplified, sequenced and compared with appropriate sequences from the GenBank database. We detected the virus in two parasite specimens: an isolate of L. infantum derived from a visceral leishmaniasis (VL) patient who was unresponsive to meglumine antimoniate treatment, and an L. major isolate originating from a great gerbil, Rhombomys opimus. The Iranian LRV sequences showed the highest similarities to an Old World L. major LRV2 and were genetically distant from LRV1 isolates detected in New World Leishmania parasites. We could not attribute treatment failure in VL patient to the presence of LRV due to the limited number of specimens analyzed. Further studies with inclusion of more clinical samples are required to elucidate the potential role of LRVs in pathogenesis or treatment failure of Old World leishmaniasis.

  16. Arrabidaea chica Hexanic Extract Induces Mitochondrion Damage and Peptidase Inhibition on Leishmania spp.

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    Igor A. Rodrigues

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Currently available leishmaniasis treatments are limited due to severe side effects. Arrabidaea chica is a medicinal plant used in Brazil against several diseases. In this study, we investigated the effects of 5 fractions obtained from the crude hexanic extract of A. chica against Leishmania amazonensis and L. infantum, as well as on the interaction of these parasites with host cells. Promastigotes were treated with several concentrations of the fractions obtained from A. chica for determination of their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC. In addition, the effect of the most active fraction (B2 on parasite’s ultrastructure was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. To evaluate the inhibitory activity of B2 fraction on Leishmania peptidases, parasites lysates were treated with the inhibitory and subinhibitory concentrations of the B2 fraction. The minimum inhibitory concentration of B2 fraction was 37.2 and 18.6 μg/mL for L. amazonensis and L. infantum, respectively. Important ultrastructural alterations as mitochondrial swelling with loss of matrix content and the presence of vesicles inside this organelle were observed in treated parasites. Moreover, B2 fraction was able to completely inhibit the peptidase activity of promastigotes at pH 5.5. The results presented here further support the use of A. chica as an interesting source of antileishmanial agents.

  17. Antileishmanial activity of Ferula assa-foetida oleo gum resin against Leishmania major: An in vitro study

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    Ali Fatahi Bafghi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: In Ayurveda, asafetida is introduced as a valuable remedy for flatulence, hysteria, nervous disorders, whooping cough, pneumonia and bronchitis in children and also considered as an aphrodisiac agent. Presently, Leishmaniasis is common in most countries of the world and is a serious health problem in the world. Some plant medicines and natural products have a new candidate for treatment of leishmaniasis. Objective: This study was designed to evaluate Ferula assa-foetida oleo gum resin (asafetida on mortality and morbidity Leishmania major in vitro. Materials and Methods: Mostigotes were isolated from mice spleens and then transformed to promastigotes in Novy-Nicolle-Mac Neal (NNN medium supplemented with penicillin (100 U/ml, streptomycin (100 μg/ml and 20% heat-inactivated fetal calf serum (FCS at 25°C. A fixed initial density of the parasites was transferred to screw-capped vials containing 5 ml of RPMI 1640 media to which different concentrations of 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 μg asafetida were added and each concentration was done in triplicates. Each run also included control. The mortality of parasitoids was measured by the slide and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA methods. Results: After 72 h, asafetida inhibited growth of parasites in all doses in stationary and logarithmic phases. The ELISA measurement suggested that the viability of parasites significantly decreased after 48h (P < 0.05. Conclusion: The results show that asafetida could prevent from growth and viability of parasites and this oleo gum resin can be useful for treatment of leishmaniasis.

  18. Protection of C57BL/10 mice by vaccination with association of purified proteins from Leishmania (Leishmania amazonensis

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    MORA Ana Mariela

    1999-01-01

    Full Text Available In the past few years, induction of protective immunity to cutaneous leishmaniasis has been attempted by many researchers using a variety of antigenic preparations, such as living promastigotes or promastigote extracts, partially purified, or defined proteins. In this study, eleven proteins from Leishmania (Leishmania amazonensis (LLa with estimated molecular mass ranging from 97 to 13.5kDa were isolated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and electro-elution. The proteins were associated as vaccine in different preparations with gp63 and BCG (Bacilli Calmette-Guérin. The antigenicity of these vaccines was measured by their ability to induce the production of IFN-g by lymphocyte from subjects vaccinated with Leishvacinâ . The immunogenicity was evaluated in vaccinated mice. C57BL/10 mice were vaccinated with three doses of each vaccine consisting of 30 mg of each protein at 15 days interval. One hundred mg of live BCG was only used in the first dose. Seven days after the last dose, they received a first challenge infection with 105 infective promastigotes and four months later, a second challenge was done. Two months after the second challenge, 42.86% of protection was obtained in the group of mice vaccinated with association of proteins of gp63+46+22kDa, gp63+13.5+25+42kDa, gp63+46+42kDa, gp63+66kDa, and gp63+97kDa; 57.14% of protection was demonstrated with gp63+46+97+13.5kDa, gp63+46+97kDa, gp63+46+33kDa, and 71.43% protection for gp63 plus all proteins. The vaccine of gp63+46+40kDa that did not protect the mice, despite the good specific stimulation of lymphocytes (LSI = 7.60 and 10.77UI/ml of IFN-g production. When crude extract of L. (L. amazonensis was used with BCG a 57.14% of protection was found after the first challenge and 28.57% after the second, the same result was observed for gp63. The data obtained with the vaccines can suggest that the future vaccine probably have to contain, except the 40kDa, a cocktail of proteins that

  19. Methodology optimizing SAGE library tag-to-gene mapping: application to Leishmania

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    Smandi Sondos

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Leishmaniasis are widespread parasitic-diseases with an urgent need for more active and less toxic drugs and for effective vaccines. Understanding the biology of the parasite especially in the context of host parasite interaction is a crucial step towards such improvements in therapy and control. Several experimental approaches including SAGE (Serial analysis of gene expression have been developed in order to investigate the parasite transcriptome organisation and plasticity. Usual SAGE tag-to-gene mapping techniques are inadequate because almost all tags are normally located in the 3'-UTR outside the CDS, whereas most information available for Leishmania transcripts is restricted to the CDS predictions. The aim of this work is to optimize a SAGE libraries tag-to-gene mapping technique and to show how this development improves the understanding of Leishmania transcriptome. Findings The in silico method implemented herein was based on mapping the tags to Leishmania genome using BLAST then mapping the tags to their gene using a data-driven probability distribution. This optimized tag-to-gene mappings improved the knowledge of Leishmania genome structure and transcription. It allowed analyzing the expression of a maximal number of Leishmania genes, the delimitation of the 3' UTR of 478 genes and the identification of biological processes that are differentially modulated during the promastigote to amastigote differentiation. Conclusion The developed method optimizes the assignment of SAGE tags in trypanosomatidae genomes as well as in any genome having polycistronic transcription and small intergenic regions.

  20. Meta-1 y Mat-1, proteínas metacíclicas en leishmania: clonación, expresión y caracterización inmunológica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christof Berberich

    2000-02-01

    Full Text Available

    Los parásitos del género Leishmania causan un amplio espectro clínico de enfermedades en el hombre, referidos colectivamente como leismaniasis. Estos parásitos en la naturaleza se encuentran como dos estadíos. Uno de promastigote, el cual es flagelado, móvil y es la forma encontrada en el intestino del insecto vector y otro de amastigote, el cual es inmóvil, no presenta flagelo y es la forma encontrada dentro de los macrófagos del hospedero mamífero. El promastigote dentro del insecto, sufre una serie de modificaciones que lo transforman desde una forma poco o nada infectivo conocido como promastigote procíclico hasta una forma altamente infectiva o promastigote metacíclico. Este proceso es de vital importancia ya que asegura la producción de parásitos infectivos y con una capacidad aumentada de resistir el ataque del sistema inmune del hospedero vertebrado. Sin embargo, los mecanismos bioquímicos y moleculares de este proceso de diferenciación apenas están siendo dilucidados. Durante la metaciclogénesis se sabe que el parásito modula la expresión de algunas moléculas involucradas en la virulencia. Con el empleo de técnicas que permiten aislar genes expresados diferencialmente se han logrado identificar los genes Meta-1 y Mat-1, que tienen la particularidad de que sus marcos de lectura en el promastigote metacíclico tienen una tasa de transcripción mayor que en promastigotes procíclicos, al menos en Leishmania major. En el presente trabajo se muestra la expresión como proteínas recombinantes de estos dos genes metacíclicos. Además , se presentará una evaluación preliminar de la respuesta inmune humoral y celular frente a las proteínas Meta- 1 y Mat-1 de L. infantum. Para la evaluación humoral se emplearon sueros de pacientes con leishmaniasis cutánea, mucocutánea y visceral, mediante Elisa y Western blot. Títulos bajos de anticuerpos

  1. T7 polymerase-driven transcription is downregulated in metacyclic promastigotes and amastigotes of Leishmania mexicana

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Ishemgulova, A.; Kraeva, N.; Faktorová, Drahomíra; Podešvová, L.; Lukeš, Julius; Yurchenko, V.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 63, MAY 18 (2016), č. článku 016. ISSN 1803-6465 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : gene expression * untranslated regions * Tet-inducible system * Leishmania mexicana Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 1.082, year: 2016

  2. Mitochondrial Proteomics of Antimony and Miltefosine Resistant Leishmania infantum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isabel M. Vincent

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Antimony (SbIII and miltefosine (MIL are important drugs for the treatment of Leishmania parasite infections. The mitochondrion is likely to play a central role in SbIII and MIL induced cell death in this parasite. Enriched mitochondrial samples from Leishmania promastigotes selected step by step for in vitro resistance to SbIII and MIL were subjected to differential proteomic analysis. A shared decrease in both mutants in the levels of pyruvate dehydrogenase, dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase, and isocitrate dehydrogenase was observed, as well as a differential abundance in two calcium-binding proteins and the unique dynamin-1-like protein of the parasite. Both mutants presented a shared increase in the succinyl-CoA:3-ketoacid-coenzyme A transferase and the abundance of numerous hypothetical proteins was also altered in both mutants. In general, the proteomic changes observed in the MIL mutant were less pronounced than in the SbIII mutant, probably due to the early appearance of a mutation in the miltefosine transporter abrogating the need for a strong mitochondrial adaptation. This study is the first analysis of the Leishmania mitochondrial proteome and offers powerful insights into the adaptations to this organelle during SbIII and MIL drug resistance.

  3. Fitness of Leishmania donovani parasites resistant to drug combinations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raquel García-Hernández

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Drug resistance represents one of the main problems for the use of chemotherapy to treat leishmaniasis. Additionally, it could provide some advantages to Leishmania parasites, such as a higher capacity to survive in stress conditions. In this work, in mixed populations of Leishmania donovani parasites, we have analyzed whether experimentally resistant lines to one or two combined anti-leishmanial drugs better support the stress conditions than a susceptible line expressing luciferase (Luc line. In the absence of stress, none of the Leishmania lines showed growth advantage relative to the other when mixed at a 1:1 parasite ratio. However, when promastigotes from resistant lines and the Luc line were mixed and exposed to different stresses, we observed that the resistant lines are more tolerant of different stress conditions: nutrient starvation and heat shock-pH stress. Further to this, we observed that intracellular amastigotes from resistant lines present a higher capacity to survive inside the macrophages than those of the control line. These results suggest that resistant parasites acquire an overall fitness increase and that resistance to drug combinations presents significant differences in their fitness capacity versus single-drug resistant parasites, particularly in intracellular amastigotes. These results contribute to the assessment of the possible impact of drug resistance on leishmaniasis control programs.

  4. Leishmania major infection in a dog with cutaneous manifestations

    OpenAIRE

    Baneth, Gad; Nachum-Biala, Yaarit; Shabat Simon, Maytal; Brenner, Ori; Gaier, Sarit; Rojas, Alicia; Yasur-Landau, Daniel

    2016-01-01

    Background Leishmania major is a main cause of cutaneous leishmaniasis in humans in an area that stretches from India through Central Asia, the Middle East, to North and West Africa. In Israel, it is a common infection of humans with rodents as the reservoir hosts and Phlebotomus papatasi as its sand fly vector. Findings A 6?months old spayed female mixed breed dog was referred to the Hebrew University Veterinary Teaching Hospital with a large ulcerative dermal lesion on the muzzle, and lesio...

  5. Imipramine is an orally active drug against both antimony sensitive and resistant Leishmania donovani clinical isolates in experimental infection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandip Mukherjee

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: In an endeavor to find an orally active and affordable antileishmanial drug, we tested the efficacy of a cationic amphiphilic drug, imipramine, commonly used for the treatment of depression in humans. The only available orally active antileishmanial drug is miltefosine with long half life and teratogenic potential limits patient compliance. Thus there is a genuine need for an orally active antileishmanial drug. Previously it was shown that imipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant alters the protonmotive force in promastigotes, but its in vivo efficacy was not reported. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we show that the drug is highly active against antimony sensitive and resistant Leishmania donovani in both promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes and in LD infected hamster model. The drug was found to decrease the mitochondrial transmembrane potential of Leishmania donovani (LD promastigotes and purified amastigotes after 8 h of treatment, whereas miltefosine effected only a marginal change even after 24 h. The drug restores defective antigen presenting ability of the parasitized macrophages. The status of the host protective factors TNF α, IFN γ and iNOS activity increased with the concomitant decrease in IL 10 and TGF β level in imipramine treated infected hamsters and evolution of matured sterile hepatic granuloma. The 10-day therapeutic window as a monotherapy, showing about 90% clearance of organ parasites in infected hamsters regardless of their SSG sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that imipramine possibly qualifies for a new use of an old drug and can be used as an effective orally active drug for the treatment of Kala-azar.

  6. MHC class II restricted innate-like double negative T cells contribute to optimal primary and secondary immunity to Leishmania major.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mou, Zhirong; Liu, Dong; Okwor, Ifeoma; Jia, Ping; Orihara, Kanami; Uzonna, Jude Ezeh

    2014-09-01

    Although it is generally believed that CD4(+) T cells play important roles in anti-Leishmania immunity, some studies suggest that they may be dispensable, and that MHC II-restricted CD3(+)CD4(-)CD8(-) (double negative, DN) T cells may be more important in regulating primary anti-Leishmania immunity. In addition, while there are reports of increased numbers of DN T cells in Leishmania-infected patients, dogs and mice, concrete evidence implicating these cells in secondary anti-Leishmania immunity has not yet been documented. Here, we report that DN T cells extensively proliferate and produce effector cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF and IL-17) and granzyme B (GrzB) in the draining lymph nodes and spleens of mice following primary and secondary L. major infections. DN T cells from healed mice display functional characteristics of protective anti-Leishmania memory-like cells: rapid and extensive proliferation and effector cytokines production following L. major challenge in vitro and in vivo. DN T cells express predominantly (> 95%) alpha-beta T cell receptor (αβ TCR), are Leishmania-specific, restricted mostly by MHC class II molecules and display transcriptional profile of innate-like genes. Using in vivo depletion and adoptive transfer studies, we show that DN T cells contribute to optimal primary and secondary anti-Leishmania immunity in mice. These results directly identify DN T cells as important players in effective and protective primary and secondary anti-L. major immunity in experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis.

  7. A novel Leishmania infantum nuclear phosphoprotein Lepp12 which stimulates IL1-beta synthesis in THP-1 transfectants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mograbi Baharia

    2003-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background We report cloning and characterization of a novel Leishmania infantum protein which we termed Lepp12, and we examine its possible implication in the interference with intramacrophage signaling pathways. Results The protein Lepp12 contains 87 amino acid sequence and exhibits 5 potential phosphorylation sites by protein kinase C (PKC. Recombinant GST-Lepp12 is phosphorylated in vitro by exogenous PKC and by PKC-like activities present in promastigote and in the myelomonocytic THP-1 cell line, indicating that at least one phosphorylation site is functional on the recombinant Lepp12. The natural Lepp12 protein is present in L. infantum promastigotes, as evidenced using specific anti-Lepp12 antibodies produced by immunopurification from acute phase VL patient sera. Interestingly, human patient sera are strongly reactive with GST-Lepp12, demonstrating immunogenic properties of Lepp12 in man, but no immune response to Lepp12 is detectable in experimentally infected animals. When isolated from promastigotes, Lepp12 migrates as two species of apparent MW of 18.3 kDa (major and 14 kDa (minor, localizes in the nuclear fraction and appears constitutively phosphorylated. Natural Lepp12 is phosphorylable in vitro by both exogenous PKC and PKC-like activity present in THP-1 extracts. The intracellular Lepp12 transfected into THP-1 cells activates these cells to produce IL-1beta and induces an enhancing effect on PMA stimulated IL-1beta synthesis, as demonstrated using GST-Lepp12 transfectants. Conclusions Together these results indicate that Lepp12 represents a substrate for PKC or other PKC-like activities present in the promastigote form and the host cell and therefore may interfere with signal transduction pathways involving PKC.

  8. Antileishmanial activity of licochalcone A in mice infected with Leishmania major and in hamsters infected with Leishmania donovani

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chen, M; Christensen, S B; Theander, T G

    1994-01-01

    This study was designed to examine the antileishmanial activity of the oxygenated chalcone licochalcone A in mice and hamsters infected with Leishmania parasites. Intraperitoneal administration of licochalcone A at doses of 2.5 and 5 mg/kg of body weight per day completely prevented lesion...... development in BALB/c mice infected with Leishmania major. Treatment of hamsters infected with L. donovani with intraperitoneal administration of licochalcone A at a dose of 20 mg/kg of body weight per day for 6 consecutive days resulted in a > 96% reduction of parasite load in the liver and the spleen...... consecutive days resulted in > 65 and 85% reductions of L. donovani parasite loads in the liver and the spleen, respectively, compared with those of untreated control hamsters. These data clearly demonstrate that licochalcone A is a promising lead for the development of a new drug against leishmaniases....

  9. Total Leishmania antigens with Poly(I:C) induce Th1 protective response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchez, M V; Eliçabe, R J; Di Genaro, M S; Germanó, M J; Gea, S; García Bustos, M F; Salomón, M C; Scodeller, E A; Cargnelutti, D E

    2017-11-01

    Our proposal was to develop a vaccine based on total Leishmania antigens (TLA) adjuvanted with polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid [Poly(I:C)] able to induce a Th1 response which can provide protection against Leishmania infection. Mice were vaccinated with two doses of TLA-Poly(I:C) administered by subcutaneous route at 3-week interval. Humoral and cellular immune responses induced by the immunization were measured. The protective efficacy of the vaccine was evaluated by challenging mice with infective promastigotes of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis into the footpad. Mice vaccinated with TLA-Poly(I:C) showed a high anti-Leishmania IgG titre, as well as increased IgG1 and IgG2a subclass titres compared with mice vaccinated with the TLA alone. The high IgG2a indicated a Th1 bias response induced by the TLA-Poly(I:C) immunization. Accordingly, the cellular immune response elicited by the formulation was characterized by an increased production of IFN-γ and no significant production of IL-4. The TLA-Poly(I:C) immunization elicited good protection, which was associated with decreased footpad swelling, a lower parasite load and a reduced histopathological alteration in the footpad. Our findings demonstrate a promising vaccine against cutaneous leishmaniasis that is relatively economic and easy to develop and which should be taken into account for preventing leishmaniasis in developing countries. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Cloning, characterization and sub-cellular localization of gamma subunit of T-complex protein-1 (chaperonin) from Leishmania donovani

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bhaskar,; Kumari, Neeti [Division of Biochemistry, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Chattar Manzil Palace, PO Box 173, Lucknow (India); Goyal, Neena, E-mail: neenacdri@yahoo.com [Division of Biochemistry, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Chattar Manzil Palace, PO Box 173, Lucknow (India)

    2012-12-07

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The study presents cloning and characterization of TCP1{gamma} gene from L. donovani. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer TCP1{gamma} is a subunit of T-complex protein-1 (TCP1), a chaperonin class of protein. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer LdTCP{gamma} exhibited differential expression in different stages of promastigotes. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer LdTCP{gamma} co-localized with actin, a cytoskeleton protein. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The data suggests that this gene may have a role in differentiation/biogenesis. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer First report on this chapronin in Leishmania. -- Abstract: T-complex protein-1 (TCP1) complex, a chaperonin class of protein, ubiquitous in all genera of life, is involved in intracellular assembly and folding of various proteins. The gamma subunit of TCP1 complex (TCP1{gamma}), plays a pivotal role in the folding and assembly of cytoskeleton protein(s) as an individual or complexed with other subunits. Here, we report for the first time cloning, characterization and expression of the TCP1{gamma} of Leishmania donovani (LdTCP1{gamma}), the causative agent of Indian Kala-azar. Primary sequence analysis of LdTCP1{gamma} revealed the presence of all the characteristic features of TCP1{gamma}. However, leishmanial TCP1{gamma} represents a distinct kinetoplastid group, clustered in a separate branch of the phylogenic tree. LdTCP1{gamma} exhibited differential expression in different stages of promastigotes. The non-dividing stationary phase promastigotes exhibited 2.5-fold less expression of LdTCP1{gamma} as compared to rapidly dividing log phase parasites. The sub-cellular distribution of LdTCP1{gamma} was studied in log phase promastigotes by employing indirect immunofluorescence microscopy. The protein was present not only in cytoplasm but it was also localized in nucleus, peri-nuclear region, flagella, flagellar pocket and apical region. Co-localization of LdTCP1{gamma} with actin suggests

  11. Cloning, characterization and sub-cellular localization of gamma subunit of T-complex protein-1 (chaperonin) from Leishmania donovani

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhaskar,; Kumari, Neeti; Goyal, Neena

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► The study presents cloning and characterization of TCP1γ gene from L. donovani. ► TCP1γ is a subunit of T-complex protein-1 (TCP1), a chaperonin class of protein. ► LdTCPγ exhibited differential expression in different stages of promastigotes. ► LdTCPγ co-localized with actin, a cytoskeleton protein. ► The data suggests that this gene may have a role in differentiation/biogenesis. ► First report on this chapronin in Leishmania. -- Abstract: T-complex protein-1 (TCP1) complex, a chaperonin class of protein, ubiquitous in all genera of life, is involved in intracellular assembly and folding of various proteins. The gamma subunit of TCP1 complex (TCP1γ), plays a pivotal role in the folding and assembly of cytoskeleton protein(s) as an individual or complexed with other subunits. Here, we report for the first time cloning, characterization and expression of the TCP1γ of Leishmania donovani (LdTCP1γ), the causative agent of Indian Kala-azar. Primary sequence analysis of LdTCP1γ revealed the presence of all the characteristic features of TCP1γ. However, leishmanial TCP1γ represents a distinct kinetoplastid group, clustered in a separate branch of the phylogenic tree. LdTCP1γ exhibited differential expression in different stages of promastigotes. The non-dividing stationary phase promastigotes exhibited 2.5-fold less expression of LdTCP1γ as compared to rapidly dividing log phase parasites. The sub-cellular distribution of LdTCP1γ was studied in log phase promastigotes by employing indirect immunofluorescence microscopy. The protein was present not only in cytoplasm but it was also localized in nucleus, peri-nuclear region, flagella, flagellar pocket and apical region. Co-localization of LdTCP1γ with actin suggests that, this gene may have a role in maintaining the structural dynamics of cytoskeleton of parasite.

  12. Transcriptome profiling identifies genes/pathways associated with experimental resistance to paromomycin in Leishmania donovani

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aditya Verma

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Widespread resistance towards antimony and reports of relapses following miltefosine treatment has severely affected the management of visceral leishmaniasis (VL in the Indian subcontinent. Paromomycin (PMM, an aminoglycoside antibiotic, has been licensed for VL treatment in India in 2007. Although its use is still restricted in the field, unraveling the molecular mechanism of resistance towards PMM is the key to preserve the drug. In this study, PMM resistant lines were selected up to 100 μM of PMM in three distinct field isolates of Leishmania donovani at promastigote stage. The resistance induced at promastigote level was also evident in amastigotes which showed 6 fold decreases in PMM susceptibility. Comparative transcriptome profiling of PMM resistant (PMM-R and the corresponding PMM sensitive (PMM-S parasites revealed modulated expression of 500 genes (1.5 fold cut off in PMM-R parasites. Selected genes were validated for their modulated expression by quantitative real-time PCR. Functional classification and pathway analysis of modulated genes indicated probable adaptations in drug resistant lines which included a reduced oxidative phosphorylation; b increased glycosomal succinate fermentation and substrate level phosphorylation; c dependency on lipids and amino acids for energy generation; d reduced DNA synthesis and increased DNA damage repair and e decreased protein synthesis and degradation. Interestingly, PMM-R parasites showed a marked increase in PMM susceptibility in presence of verapamil and amlodipine, antagonists of Ca2+ channel that are also modulators of ABC transporters. Moreover, infection of macrophages by PMM-R parasites led to modulated nitric oxide (NO levels while reactive oxygen species (ROS level remained unaltered. The present study highlights the putative mechanisms of PMM resistance in Leishmania. Keywords: Leishmania donovani, Drug resistance, Paromomycin, Transcriptome, ABC transporters, Nitric oxide, Visceral

  13. Analysis of the specificity of human antibodies to antigens of Leishmania braziliensis braziliensis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aoi Masuda

    1989-08-01

    Full Text Available The antigenicity of promastigotes of Leishmania braziliensis braziliensis (L. b.braziliensis treated with 1% sodium desoxycholate in 10 mM Tris-Hcl pH 8.2 was analysed by immunoblot using as probes sera from American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL, American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL, schistosomiasis, malaria and Chagas' disease. The ACL sera reacted constantly with a 60 kD band. No reactivity to this protein was observed with sera from the other diseases above mentioned indicating that the 60 kD protein may be used in serodiagnosis for ACL.

  14. Leishmania in the Old World: 1. The geographical and hostal distribution of L. major zymodemes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Blancq, S M; Schnur, L F; Peters, W

    1986-01-01

    135 stocks of Leishmania major from man, reservoir hosts and sandflies were characterized using thin-layer starch-gel electrophoresis of 13 enzymes: MDH, 6PGD, GD, SOD, ASAT, ALAT, PK, PGM, ES, NH, PEPD, MPI, GPI. Homogeneity in this species was demonstrated by identical electrophoretic mobilities in nine enzymes. Polymorphism in four enzymes: 6PGD, GPI, PEPD, ES, gave six zymodemes among the collection. Stocks from sandflies and several species of burrowing rodents were indistinguishable from those from man in the same areas. Stocks of Leishmania from North-West India were identified as L. major. In some foci the distribution of zymodemes has some correlation with the presence of particular rodent reservoir hosts. The enzymic homogeneity of L. major throughout its geographical and host range appears to be correlated with the close association between L. major and sandflies of the subgenus Phlebotomus. The status of L. major as a distinct species is supported.

  15. Estudio ultraestructural de la fagocitosis de promastigotes y amastigotes de Leishmania mexicana por la línea de células dendríticas FSDC

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ladys Sarmiento

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available Introducción. Las células dendríticas están presentes en la mayoría de los tejidos, ellas capturany presentan antígenos para activar a los linfocitos T. Objetivo. Se describe ultraestructuralmente la fagocitosis de Leishmania mexicana por lalínea de células dendríticas FSDC, una línea de células de Langerhans obtenida de la epidermisfetal de ratón, e inmortalizada por la transducción retroviral del oncogen v-myc. Materiales y métodos. Se obtuvieron amastigotes de la lesión de ratones Balb/c y promastigotesa partir del cultivo (24°C de la lesión. Las FSDC se cultivaron con los parásitos en unaproporción de 5 parásitos por célula, en medio IMDM, durante 24 horas. Los cultivos infectadosy los controles se procesaron para microscopía electrónica de transmisión. Se hicieron cortessemifinos contrastados con azul de toluidina para evaluar porcentaje de fagocitosis y finos,contrastados con acetato de uranilo y citrato de plomo. Resultados. El 13,42% de las FSDC fagocitaron promastigotes; de ellas el 8% contenían unparásito y el restante 5,2% fagocitó dos o más. El 20% de las FSDC fagocitaron amastigotes;10% contenían un parásito y 10% dos o más. Ultraestructuralmente se observaron promastigotesen contacto con las células por el flagelo o por el polo posterior. Los fagosomas que conteníanpromastigotes eran organelos estrechos con uno ó dos parásitos. Los que conteníanamastigotes eran de gran tamaño (8 μm con uno o varios parásitos, libres o adosados a lamembrana del fagosoma por su polo posterior. Conclusión. La infección de las FSDC se caracterizó por una baja tasa de células infectadasal ser expuestas a promastigotes o amastigotes. La vacuola parasitofora presentó característicassimilares a las de los macrófagos. En su mayoría las FSDC presentaban 1 a 3 parásitos porcélula. Las observaciones plantean la necesidad de estudiar la relación entre capacidad defagocitosis y función.

  16. Description of a novel eukaryotic deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate nucleotidohydrolase in Leishmania major

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Camacho, A; Arrebola, R; Pena Diaz, Javier

    1997-01-01

    A Leishmania major full-length cDNA encoding a functional dUTP nucleotidohydrolase (dUTPase; EC 3.6.1.23) was isolated from a cDNA expression library by genetic complementation of dUTPase deficiency in Escherichia coli. The cDNA contained an open reading frame that encoded a protein of 269 amino...

  17. H-11-linked gene has a parallel effect on Leishmania major and L. donovani infections in mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blackwell, J.M.; Hale, C.; Roberts, M.B.; Ulczak, O.M.; Liew, F.Y.; Howard, J.G.

    1985-01-01

    The courses of visceral infection following intravenous injection of Leishmania donovani amastigotes, or lesion growth following subcutaneous injection of L. major promastigotes, were examined in B10.129(10M) (H-2b, H-11b) mice and compared with disease profiles observed in congenic C57BL/10ScSn(= B10) (H-2b, H-11a) and B10.D2/n (H-2d, H-11a) mice, and in BALB/mice. Possession of alternative alleles at H-11 and closely linked loci transformed the normal curing/healing phenotype of B10 mice into a characteristically different noncuring/nonhealing phenotype affecting both visceral and subcutaneous infections in B10.129(10M) mice. In reciprocal radiation bone marrow chimeras made between the congenic B10 and B10.129(10M) strains, both cure and noncure phenotypes were transferable with the donor hematopoietic system. Although it was possible to demonstrate transfer of suppression with T-enriched spleen cells from day 61 L. donovani-infected B10.129(10M) donor mice into 550 rad syngeneic recipients, the pretreatment of mice with sublethal irradiation did not, as in the earlier studies of Scl-controlled L. major nonhealing or H-2-controlled L. donovani noncure phenotypes, have a clear or consistent prophylactic effect. Together with the progressive disease profile observed even for L. donovani at low parasite doses this suggests that, despite their ability to develop initial delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions to parasite antigen early in L. major infection, B10.129(10M) mice possess some inherent defect in ability to mount a cell-mediated response effective at the level of macrophage neishmanial activity in vivo even when suppressor T cells are not generated. Elucidation of this characteristically different noncuring/nonhealing phenotye may provide important insight into common events involved in the development of the cell-mediated immune response to both visceral and subcutaneous forms of leishmaniasis

  18. Asymptomatic dogs are highly competent to transmit Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi to the natural vector.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laurenti, Márcia Dalastra; Rossi, Claudio Nazaretian; da Matta, Vânia Lúcia Ribeiro; Tomokane, Thaise Yumie; Corbett, Carlos Eduardo Pereira; Secundino, Nágila Francinete Costa; Pimenta, Paulo Filemon Paulocci; Marcondes, Mary

    2013-09-23

    We evaluated the ability of dogs naturally infected with Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi to transfer the parasite to the vector and the factors associated with transmission. Thirty-eight infected dogs were confirmed to be infected by direct observation of Leishmania in lymph node smears. Dogs were grouped according to external clinical signs and laboratory data into symptomatic (n=24) and asymptomatic (n=14) animals. All dogs were sedated and submitted to xenodiagnosis with F1-laboratory-reared Lutzomyia longipalpis. After blood digestion, sand flies were dissected and examined for the presence of promastigotes. Following canine euthanasia, fragments of skin, lymph nodes, and spleen were collected and processed using immunohistochemistry to evaluate tissue parasitism. Specific antibodies were detected using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Antibody levels were found to be higher in symptomatic dogs compared to asymptomatic dogs (p=0.0396). Both groups presented amastigotes in lymph nodes, while skin parasitism was observed in only 58.3% of symptomatic and in 35.7% of asymptomatic dogs. Parasites were visualized in the spleens of 66.7% and 71.4% of symptomatic and asymptomatic dogs, respectively. Parasite load varied from mild to intense, and was not significantly different between groups. All asymptomatic dogs except for one (93%) were competent to transmit Leishmania to the vector, including eight (61.5%) without skin parasitism. Sixteen symptomatic animals (67%) infected sand flies; six (37.5%) showed no amastigotes in the skin. Skin parasitism was not crucial for the ability to infect Lutzomyia longipalpis but the presence of Leishmania in lymph nodes was significantly related to a positive xenodiagnosis. Additionally, a higher proportion of infected vectors that fed on asymptomatic dogs was observed (p=0.0494). Clinical severity was inversely correlated with the infection rate of sand flies (p=0.027) and was directly correlated with antibody

  19. Affinity labeling of the folate-methotrexate transporter from Leishmania donovani

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beck, J.T.; Ullman, B.

    1989-01-01

    An affinity labeling technique has been developed to identify the folate-methotrexate transporter of Leishmania donovani promastigotes using activated derivatives of the ligands. These activated derivatives were synthesized by incubating folate and methotrexate with a 10-fold excess of 1-ethyl-3-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]carbodiimide (EDC) for 10 min at ambient temperature in dimethyl sulfoxide. When intact wild-type (DI700) Leishmania donovani or preparations of their membranes were incubated with a 0.4 μM concentration of either activated [ 3 H]folate or activated [ 3 H]methotrexate, the radiolabeled ligands were covalently incorporated into a polypeptide with a molecular weight of approximately 46,000, as demonstrated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. No affinity labeling of a 46,000-dalton protein was observed when equimolar concentrations of activated radiolabeled ligands were incubated with intact cells or membranes prepared from a methotrexate-resistant mutant clone of Leishmania donovani, MTXA5, that is genetically defective in folate-methotrexate transport capability. Time course studies indicated that maximal labeling of the 46,000-dalton protein occurred within 5-10 min of incubation of intact cells with activated ligand. These studies provide biochemical evidence that the folate-methotrexate transporter of Leishmania donovani can be identified in crude extracts by an affinity labeling technique and serve as a prerequisite to further analysis of the transport protein by providing a vehicle for subsequent purification of this membrane carrier. Moreover, these investigations suggest that the affinity labeling technique using EDC-activated ligands may be exploitable to analyze other cell surface binding proteins in Leishmania donovani, as well as in other organisms

  20. Page Header USER Username Password Remember me Login FONT SIZE Make font size smallerMake font size defaultMake font size larger Journal Help NOTIFICATIONS View Subscribe JOURNAL CONTENT Search Search Scope Search Browse By Issue By Author By Title INFORMATION For Authors ARTICLE TOOLS Print this article Indexing metadata How to cite item Finding References Email this article (Login required Email the author (Login required KEYWORDS Angiogenesis Antibacterial activity Catalase Cytotoxicity. Endostatin Fritillaria imperialis, Traditional Persian Medicine, Hakim Momen Tonekaboni Herbs Hydatidosis Ischemia Liver Matrix solid-phase dispersion, HPLC, Ellagic acid, Pomegranate Nectaroscordum tripedale Nigella sativa L. Nigella sativa, Black cumin, Artemia salina, Cytotoxicity, Essential oil Olive leaf extract Renal Reperfusion Satureja khuzestanica essential oil, Leishmania major, Macrophage, Amastigote, Promastigote Scolicidal effect Superoxide dismutase Surgery HOME ABOUT LOGIN REGISTER SEARCH CURRENT ARCHIVES ANNOUNCEMENTS ONLINE SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS FOR AUTHORS INDEXING & ABSTRACTING ##LORESTAN UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES## Home > Vol 1, No 1(December 2016 >\tKheirandish THE CYTOTOXIC AND ANTILEISHMANIAL EFFECTS OF SATUREJA KHUZESTANICA ESSENTIAL OIL

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    Farnaz Kheirandish

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aim: Leishmaniasis is endemic in 98 countries including Iran. Pentavalent antimony compounds resistance as first-line therapy is increasing in some local areas. Also side effects of these drugs are limited at the beginning of treatment, but the toxicity increases with time. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of Satureja khuzestanica essential oil (SKEO on promastigote and amastigote Leishmania major forms. Materials and Methods: The components of S. khuzestanica oil were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS analysis. To evaluate antipromastigote activity the different concentrations of extract and glucantime were added to the wells that contained L. major. The plates were incubated at 26±1°C for a week. On days 1, 3 and 5, the number of live promastigotes in each well was counted. For assessment of SKEO effect on intracellular amastigotes, mouse peritoneal macrophages were isolated and infected with promastigotes. Different concentrations of the extract and glucantime were added to the cultures. The cultures were incubated at 37°C and CO2 5%. The number of infected macrophages and amastigotes within each macrophage were counted. Toxicity assessment of SKEO on macrophages was done by MTT method. Results and Conclusions: The mean number of promastigotes, infected macrophages and amastigotes in a macrophage in the control and treated groups had significantly difference. So that their number in the treated groups was less as a dose-dependent response. The present research showed potent antileishmanial activity of, SKEO; additionally this plant had no toxic effect on mammalian cells.

  1. Man-biting sand fly species and natural infection with the Leishmania promastigote in leishmaniasis-endemic areas of Ecuador.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomez, Eduardo A; Kato, Hirotomo; Hashiguchi, Yoshihisa

    2014-12-01

    A countrywide surveillance of sand flies was performed to obtain information on their geographical distribution and natural infection by Leishmania protozoa in Ecuador. A total of 18,119 sand flies were collected by human landing collections during 32 years from 1982 to 2014, and 29 species were recognized. The most prevalent 10 species were Lutzomyia gomezi, Lu. robusta, Lu. hartmanni, Lu. shannoni, Lu. trapidoi, Lu. panamensis, Lu. maranonensis, Lu. ayacuchensis, Lu. tortura and Lu. yuilli yuilli, and their topographical and vertical distributions were identified. Among all the sand flies, only 197 (1.09%) flies of four Lutzomyia species, Lu. gomezi, Lu. trapidoi, Lu. tortura and Lu. ayacuchensis, were positive for Leishmania. Endotrypanum, a flagellate parasite not pathogenic to humans, were detected in five Lutzomyia species, Lu. robusta, Lu. hartmanni, Lu. trapidoi, Lu. panamensis and Lu. yuilli yuilli, suggesting wide vector-ranges of Endotrypanum species. These data on the genus Lutzomyia and their natural infections with Leishmania and Endotrypanum will be useful for transmission studies and surveillance of leishmaniasis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Effect of aliphatic, monocarboxylic, dicarboxylic, heterocyclic and sulphur-containing amino acids on Leishmania spp. chemotaxis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diaz, E; Zacarias, A K; Pérez, S; Vanegas, O; Köhidai, L; Padrón-Nieves, M; Ponte-Sucre, A

    2015-11-01

    In the sand-fly mid gut, Leishmania promastigotes are exposed to acute changes in nutrients, e.g. amino acids (AAs). These metabolites are the main energy sources for the parasite, crucial for its differentiation and motility. We analysed the migratory behaviour and morphological changes produced by aliphatic, monocarboxylic, dicarboxylic, heterocyclic and sulphur-containing AAs in Leishmania amazonensis and Leishmania braziliensis and demonstrated that L-methionine (10-12 m), L-tryptophan (10-11 m), L-glutamine and L-glutamic acid (10-6 m), induced positive chemotactic responses, while L-alanine (10-7 m), L-methionine (10-11 and 10-7 m), L-tryptophan (10-11 m), L-glutamine (10-12 m) and L-glutamic acid (10-9 m) induced negative chemotactic responses. L-proline and L-cysteine did not change the migratory potential of Leishmania. The flagellum length of L. braziliensis, but not of L. amazonensis, decreased when incubated in hyperosmotic conditions. However, chemo-repellent concentrations of L-alanine (Hypo-/hyper-osmotic conditions) and L-glutamic acid (hypo-osmotic conditions) decreased L. braziliensis flagellum length and L-methionine (10-11 m, hypo-/hyper-osmotic conditions) decreased L. amazonensis flagellum length. This chemotactic responsiveness suggests that Leishmania discriminate between slight concentration differences of small and structurally closely related molecules and indicates that besides their metabolic effects, AAs play key roles linked to sensory mechanisms that might determine the parasite's behaviour.

  3. Mitochondria Superoxide Anion Production Contributes to Geranylgeraniol-Induced Death in Leishmania amazonensis

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    Milene Valéria Lopes

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Here we demonstrate the activity of geranylgeraniol, the major bioactive constituent from seeds of Bixa orellana, against Leishmania amazonensis. Geranylgeraniol was identified through 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and DEPT. The compound inhibited the promastigote and intracellular amastigote forms, with IC50 of 11±1.0 and 17.5±0.7 μg/mL, respectively. This compound was also more toxic to parasites than to macrophages and did not cause lysis in human blood cells. Morphological and ultrastructural changes induced by geranylgeraniol were observed in the protozoan by electronic microscopy and included mainly mitochondria alterations and an abnormal chromatin condensation in the nucleus. These alterations were confirmed by Rh 123 and TUNEL assays. Additionally, geranylgeraniol induces an increase in superoxide anion production. Collectively, our in vitro studies indicate geranylgeraniol as a selective antileishmanial that appears to be mediated by apoptosis-like cell death.

  4. The development of Leishmania turanica in sand flies and competition with L. major

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Chajbullinova, A.; Votýpka, Jan; Sádlová, J.; Kvapilová, K.; Seblova, V.; Kreisinger, J.; Jirků, Milan; Sanjoba, C.; Gantuya, S.; Matsumoto, Y.; Volf, P.

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 5, OCT 2 (2012) ISSN 1756-3305 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : Leishmania turanica * L. major * mixed infections * competition * genetic exchange * vector competence * Phlebotomus Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 3.246, year: 2012 http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/5/1/219

  5. AVALIAÇÃO DA TERAPIA FOTODINÂMICA COM AZUL DE METILENO EM Leishmania major e Leishmania braziliensis: ESTUDO in vitro

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    Danielle El Atra Coelho

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available A Leishmaníase é uma doença crônica causada pelo protozoário do gênero Leishmania, cujo tratamento é agressivo. A Terapia Fotodinâmica (TFD é uma alternativa promissora que combina luz, fotossensibilizador (FS e oxigênio molecular, para causar a morte celular. O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar, in vitro, a ação da TFD com Azul de metileno (AM em promastigotas de Leishmania, por teste de MTT, curva de crescimento e morfologia do parasito. O teste de MTT demonstrou alteração de ambas as espécies após interação com o AM no escuro e após TFD. A análise das curvas demonstrou que a TFD influenciou o crescimento das espécies. A análise morfológica revelou que o AM no escuro não causou alterações expressivas como a TFD, sendo a cepa de L. braziliensis mais afetada que a cepa de L. major. Pode-se concluir que a TFD com AM foi promissora contra promastigotas de Leishmania, pois foi capaz de diminuir o crescimento e alterar a morfologia dos parasitos em cultura.

  6. Molecular detection and identification of Leishmania spp. in naturally infected Phlebotomus tobbi and Sergentomyia dentata in a focus of human and canine leishmaniasis in western Turkey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Özbel, Yusuf; Karakuş, Mehmet; Arserim, Suha K; Kalkan, Şaban Orçun; Töz, Seray

    2016-03-01

    Human visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is reported from 38 provinces of Turkey and dogs are accepted as main reservoir hosts. Kuşadası town, belonging to Aydın province and located in western part of Turkey, is endemic for human and canine visceral leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum MON1 and MON98. In this study, phlebotomine survey was conducted to determine the vector sand fly species and to identify sand fly blood meal sources. In August and September 2012, 1027 sand fly specimens were caught using CDC light traps. Eight Phlebotomus and two Sergentomyia species with the dominancy of Phlebotomus tobbi (61.34%) were detected. A total of 622 female sand flies (571 Phlebotomus; 51 Sergentomyia) were checked for Leishmania infection by direct dissection of the midgut. The half of the midgut content was inoculated into NNN culture for isolation of the parasite. Leishmania species-specific ITS1 real time PCR, conventional PCR assays of ITS1 and hsp70 genes and subsequent sequencing were performed from extracted DNAs. A region of cytochrome b (cyt-b) gene of vertebrates based PCR was used to determine the source of blood meal of sand flies. In microscopical examinations, two female specimens (0.32%) were found naturally infected with high number and different stages of promastigotes. No growth was observed in NNN culture but Leishmania DNA was obtained from both specimens. First positive specimen was identified as P. tobbi and L. infantum DNA was detected. Second specimen was Sergentomyia dentata, but Leishmania DNA could not be identified on species level. A total of 16 blood-fed female P. tobbi specimens were used for blood meal analysis and eight, three and one specimens were positive for human, dog and mouse, respectively. This is the first detection of Leishmania promastigotes using microscopical examination in P. tobbi and S. dentata in human and canine visceral leishmaniasis endemic area in western part of Turkey. Our results indicate that, (i) P. tobbi is

  7. The transmission of suprapylarian Leishmania by bite of experimentally infected sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae A trasnmissão de Leishmania suprapilária pela picada do flebotomíneo infectado experimentalmente

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    L. Ryan

    1987-09-01

    Full Text Available Lutzomyia furcata transmitted Leishmania chagasi to a hamster 10 days after being experimentally fed on an infected spleen. An individual female Psychodopygus carrerai carrerai that had fed on a hamster lesion caused by Leishmania mexicana amazonensis transmitted this parasite 6 days later to another hamster. Transmission electron microscopy of this fly's head revealed a small number of degenerate promastigotes in the foregut, but only a few were attached.O protozoário Leishmania (L. chagasi foi transmitido experimentalmente a um hamster pela picada do flebotomíneo Lutzomyia furcata. Os insetos foram infectados através de uma membrana (pele de pinto, utilizando-se formas amastigotas provenientes do baço de um hamster infectado. O baço foi triturado em sangue de coelho. A L. (L. amazonensis foi transmitida a um hamster pela picada do flebotomíneo Psychodopygus c. carrerai, previamente alimentado em lesão de pele de um outro hamster infectado com o parasita. O exame desse flebotomíneo, através de microscópio eletrônico, revelou um número pequeno de flagelados degenerados, livres no lumen do intestino anterior.

  8. Catalytic activity of a novel serine/threonine protein phosphatase PP5 from Leishmania major

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    Norris-Mullins Brianna

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. Our knowledge of protein phosphatases (PPs and their implication in signaling events is very limited. Here we report the expression, characterization and mutagenesis analysis of a novel protein phosphatase 5 (PP5 in Leishmania major. Recombinant PP5 is a bona fide phosphatase and is enzymatically active. Site-directed mutagenesis revealed auto-inhibitory roles of the N-terminal region. This is a rational first approach to understand the role of PP5 in the biology of the parasite better as well as its potential future applicability to anti-parasitic intervention.

  9. Leishmania infantum proteophosphoglycans regurgitated by the bite of its natural sand fly vector, Lutzomyia longipalpis, promote parasite establishment in mouse skin and skin-distant tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogers, Matthew Edward; Corware, Karina; Müller, Ingrid; Bates, Paul Andrew

    2010-10-01

    We demonstrate that a proteophosphoglycan-rich gel secreted by Leishmania infantum inside the midgut of Lutzomyia longipalpis sand flies (promastigote secretory gel) is regurgitated along with an average dose of 500 L. infantum metacyclic promastigotes per infected bite. Using both low (10³) and high (10⁵) doses of parasites in the ears of BALB/c mice we show that the infections benefit from the presence of vector saliva and parasite gel in the skin. However, chronic infection of the spleen was only enhanced in high dose co-infections with gel. These results provide the framework for a more natural experimental model of visceral leishmaniasis. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier SAS.

  10. Identification of Leishmania donovani Topoisomerase 1 inhibitors via intuitive scaffold hopping and bioisosteric modification of known Top 1 inhibitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mamidala, Rajinikanth; Majumdar, Papiya; Jha, Kunal Kumar; Bathula, Chandramohan; Agarwal, Rahul; Chary, M. Thirumala; Mazumdar, H. K.; Munshi, Parthapratim; Sen, Subhabrata

    2016-05-01

    A library of arylidenefuropyridinediones was discovered as potent inhibitors of Leishmania donovani Topoisomerase 1 (LdTop1) where the active molecules displayed considerable inhibition with single digit micromolar EC50 values. This molecular library was designed via intuitive scaffold hopping and bioisosteric modification of known topoisomerase 1 inhibitors such as camptothecin, edotecarin and etc. The design was rationalized by molecular docking analysis of the compound prototype with human topoisomerase 1 (HTop1) and Leishmania donovani topoisomerase 1(LdTop1). The most active compound 4 displayed no cytotoxicity against normal mammalian COS7 cell line (~100 fold less inhibition at the EC50). Similar to camptothecin, 4 interacted with free LdTop1 as observed in the preincubation DNA relaxation inhibition experiment. It also displayed anti-protozoal activity against Leishmania donovani promastigote. Crystal structure investigation of 4 and its molecular modelling with LdTop1 revealed putative binding sites in the enzyme that could be harnessed to generate molecules with better potency.

  11. Characterization and regulation of Leishmania major 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Montalvetti, A; Pena Diaz, Javier; Hurtado, R

    2000-01-01

    In eukaryotes the enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase catalyses the synthesis of mevalonic acid, a common precursor to all isoprenoid compounds. Here we report the isolation and overexpression of the gene coding for HMG-CoA reductase from Leishmania major. The protein from L...

  12. Microbial stasis of Leishmania enriettii in activated guinea pig macrophages

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Groocock, C.M.; Soulsby, E.J.L.

    1980-01-01

    Peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) from Leishmania-sensitized guinea pigs were cultured in vitro in the presence (activated) or absence (non-activated) of leishmanial antigen for 24 or 48 hours. These were then labelled with 51 Cr and challenged with 125 I-labelled promastigotes. The changing relationship between the macrophage and the parasite was monitored by observing changes in the ratio of the cell-associated isotopes. Highly significant differences in the ratio change developed during culture. These differences were a result of the activated cultures showing a higher release of 51 Cr and a lower release of 125 I when compared with the non-activated cells, at 12 hours the percentage release of 125 I from the parasite within the activated macrophage was fourfold less than that released by parasites within non-activated cells (9.2% versus 38.3%) and tenfold less than that released from glutaraldehyde-killed organisms phagocytosed by activated macrophages (91.6%). These studies indicate that stasis rather than killing of leishmaniae occurs in the activated macrophage in vitro. Parallel experiments evaluated by the visual counting of leishmaniae within the macrophages support these data. PEC from tuberculin-sensitized guinea pigs activated in vitro by purified protein derivative showed little or no activity against leishmaniae, indicating a specific requirement for this microbial stasis by activated macrophages. As a corollary of this, peritoneal exudate lymphocytes separated from the same preparations of PEC were shown to be specifically reactive to leishmanial antigen by transformation and incorporation of 3 H-thymidine. (author)

  13. Antiprotozoal properties of 16,17-dihydrobrachycalyxolide from Vernonia brachycalyx

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Oketch-Rabah, H A; Brøgger Christensen, S; Frydenvang, K

    1998-01-01

    Extracts of the leaves from Vernonia brachycalyx showed in vitro activity against Plasmodium falciparum and promastigotes of Leishmania major. The germacrane dilactone 16,17-dihydrobrachycalyxolide (1) which was previously isolated from the aerial parts of the plant was shown to be the major...

  14. Regulatory volume decrease in Leishmania mexicana: effect of anti-microtubule drugs

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    Francehuli Dagger

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available The trypanosomatid cytoskeleton is responsible for the parasite's shape and it is modulated throughout the different stages of the parasite's life cycle. When parasites are exposed to media with reduced osmolarity, they initially swell, but subsequently undergo compensatory shrinking referred to as regulatory volume decrease (RVD. We studied the effects of anti-microtubule (Mt drugs on the proliferation of Leishmania mexicana promastigotes and their capacity to undergo RVD. All of the drugs tested exerted antiproliferative effects of varying magnitudes [ansamitocin P3 (AP3> trifluoperazine > taxol > rhizoxin > chlorpromazine]. No direct relationship was found between antiproliferative drug treatment and RVD. Similarly, Mt stability was not affected by drug treatment. Ansamitocin P3, which is effective at nanomolar concentrations, blocked amastigote-promastigote differentiation and was the only drug that impeded RVD, as measured by light dispersion. AP3 induced 2 kinetoplasts (Kt 1 nucleus cells that had numerous flagella-associated Kts throughout the cell. These results suggest that the dramatic morphological changes induced by AP3 alter the spatial organisation and directionality of the Mts that are necessary for the parasite's hypotonic stress-induced shape change, as well as its recovery.

  15. Decreased antimony uptake and overexpression of genes of thiol metabolism are associated with drug resistance in a canine isolate of Leishmania infantum

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    Verónica Gómez Pérez

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Visceral leishmaniasis (VL caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania infantum, is one of the most important zoonotic diseases affecting dogs and humans in the Mediterranean area. The presence of infected dogs as the main reservoir host of L. infantum is regarded as the most significant risk for potential human infection. We have studied the susceptibility profile to antimony and other anti-leishmania drugs (amphotericin B, miltefosine, paromomycin in Leishmania infantum isolates extracted from a dog before and after two therapeutic interventions with meglumine antimoniate (subcutaneous Glucantime®, 100 mg/kg/day for 28 days. After the therapeutic intervention, these parasites were significantly less susceptible to antimony than pretreatment isolate, presenting a resistance index of 6-fold to SbIII for promastigotes and >3-fold to SbIII and 3-fold to SbV for intracellular amastigotes. The susceptibility profile of this resistant L. infantum line is related to a decreased antimony uptake due to lower aquaglyceroporin-1 expression levels. Additionally, other mechanisms including an increase in thiols and overexpression of enzymes involved in thiol metabolism, such as ornithine decarboxylase, trypanothione reductase, mitochondrial tryparedoxin and mitochondrial tryparedoxin peroxidase, could contribute to the resistance as antimony detoxification mechanisms. A major contribution of this study in a canine L. infantum isolate is to find an antimony-resistant mechanism similar to that previously described in other human clinical isolates.

  16. Amiloidosis en Didelphis marsupialis infectado experimentalmente con Leishmania chagasi.

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    Diana Milena Roa

    2002-09-01

    Full Text Available Un Didelphis marsupialis macho capturado en Teruel, Huila, se inoculó intraperitonealmente con 1x106 promastigotes de Leishmania chagasi (MHOM/CO/84/CL044B. El animal desarrolló leishmaniosis visceral con abundantes amastigotes fagocitados en las células de Kupffer y en los macrófagos esplénicos; murió 5 semanas después de la inoculación. La autopsia reveló amplios depósitos de amiloide en el hígado y en el bazo, demostrados por sus características tintoriales y ultraestructurales. La consideramos como una amiloidosis secundaria a la infección experimental, que ocurrió en el transcurso de 5 semanas luego de inoculado el animal.

  17. In vitro and in vivo susceptibility of Leishmania major to some medicinal plants

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    Fatemeh Maleki

    2017-01-01

    Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the tested plant extracts are effective against Leishmania major both during in vitro and in vivo experiments, but further researches are required to recommend a potential plant extract as an alternative drug.

  18. Neutrophils Contribute to the Protection Conferred by ArtinM against Intracellular Pathogens: A Study on Leishmania major.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ricci-Azevedo, Rafael; Oliveira, Aline Ferreira; Conrado, Marina C A V; Carvalho, Fernanda Caroline; Roque-Barreira, Maria Cristina

    2016-04-01

    ArtinM, a D-mannose binding lectin from Artocarpus heterophyllus, has immunomodulatory activities through its interaction with N-glycans of immune cells, culminating with the establishment of T helper type 1 (Th1) immunity. This interaction protects mice against intracellular pathogens, including Leishmania major and Leishmania amazonensis. ArtinM induces neutrophils activation, which is known to account for both resistance to pathogens and host tissue injury. Although exacerbated inflammation was not observed in ArtinM-treated animals, assessment of neutrophil responses to ArtinM is required to envisage its possible application to design a novel immunomodulatory agent based on carbohydrate recognition. Herein, we focus on the mechanisms through which neutrophils contribute to ArtinM-induced protection against Leishmania, without exacerbating inflammation. For this purpose, human neutrophils treated with ArtinM and infected with Leishmania major were analyzed together with untreated and uninfected controls, based on their ability to eliminate the parasite, release cytokines, degranulate, produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and change life span. We demonstrate that ArtinM-stimulated neutrophils enhanced L. major clearance and at least duplicated tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) release; otherwise, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) production was reduced by half. Furthermore, ROS production and cell degranulation were augmented. The life span of ArtinM-stimulated neutrophils decreased and they did not form NETs when infected with L. major. We postulate that the enhanced leishmanicidal ability of ArtinM-stimulated neutrophils is due to augmented release of inflammatory cytokines, ROS production, and cell degranulation, whereas host tissue integrity is favored by their shortened life span and the absence of NET formation. Our results reinforce the idea that ArtinM may be considered an

  19. Neutrophils Contribute to the Protection Conferred by ArtinM against Intracellular Pathogens: A Study on Leishmania major.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rafael Ricci-Azevedo

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available ArtinM, a D-mannose binding lectin from Artocarpus heterophyllus, has immunomodulatory activities through its interaction with N-glycans of immune cells, culminating with the establishment of T helper type 1 (Th1 immunity. This interaction protects mice against intracellular pathogens, including Leishmania major and Leishmania amazonensis. ArtinM induces neutrophils activation, which is known to account for both resistance to pathogens and host tissue injury. Although exacerbated inflammation was not observed in ArtinM-treated animals, assessment of neutrophil responses to ArtinM is required to envisage its possible application to design a novel immunomodulatory agent based on carbohydrate recognition. Herein, we focus on the mechanisms through which neutrophils contribute to ArtinM-induced protection against Leishmania, without exacerbating inflammation. For this purpose, human neutrophils treated with ArtinM and infected with Leishmania major were analyzed together with untreated and uninfected controls, based on their ability to eliminate the parasite, release cytokines, degranulate, produce reactive oxygen species (ROS, form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs and change life span. We demonstrate that ArtinM-stimulated neutrophils enhanced L. major clearance and at least duplicated tumor necrosis factor (TNF and interleukin-1beta (IL-1β release; otherwise, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β production was reduced by half. Furthermore, ROS production and cell degranulation were augmented. The life span of ArtinM-stimulated neutrophils decreased and they did not form NETs when infected with L. major. We postulate that the enhanced leishmanicidal ability of ArtinM-stimulated neutrophils is due to augmented release of inflammatory cytokines, ROS production, and cell degranulation, whereas host tissue integrity is favored by their shortened life span and the absence of NET formation. Our results reinforce the idea that ArtinM may be

  20. Trypanosome lytic factor, an antimicrobial high-density lipoprotein, ameliorates Leishmania infection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marie Samanovic

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Innate immunity is the first line of defense against invading microorganisms. Trypanosome Lytic Factor (TLF is a minor sub-fraction of human high-density lipoprotein that provides innate immunity by completely protecting humans from infection by most species of African trypanosomes, which belong to the Kinetoplastida order. Herein, we demonstrate the broader protective effects of human TLF, which inhibits intracellular infection by Leishmania, a kinetoplastid that replicates in phagolysosomes of macrophages. We show that TLF accumulates within the parasitophorous vacuole of macrophages in vitro and reduces the number of Leishmania metacyclic promastigotes, but not amastigotes. We do not detect any activation of the macrophages by TLF in the presence or absence of Leishmania, and therefore propose that TLF directly damages the parasite in the acidic parasitophorous vacuole. To investigate the physiological relevance of this observation, we have reconstituted lytic activity in vivo by generating mice that express the two main protein components of TLFs: human apolipoprotein L-I and haptoglobin-related protein. Both proteins are expressed in mice at levels equivalent to those found in humans and circulate within high-density lipoproteins. We find that TLF mice can ameliorate an infection with Leishmania by significantly reducing the pathogen burden. In contrast, TLF mice were not protected against infection by the kinetoplastid Trypanosoma cruzi, which infects many cell types and transiently passes through a phagolysosome. We conclude that TLF not only determines species specificity for African trypanosomes, but can also ameliorate an infection with Leishmania, while having no effect on T. cruzi. We propose that TLFs are a component of the innate immune system that can limit infections by their ability to selectively damage pathogens in phagolysosomes within the reticuloendothelial system.

  1. Canine cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by neotropical Leishmania infantum despite of systemic disease: A case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cavalcanti, Amanda; Lobo, Rogério; Cupolillo, Elisa; Bustamante, Fábio; Porrozzi, Renato

    2012-12-01

    Visceral leishmaniasis is an anthropozoonosis caused by a protozoan Leishmania infantum (syn. Leishmania chagasi). Here, we report a typical case of canine cutaneous leishmaniasis due to L. infantum infection without any other systemic symptom in one dog in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A mongrel female dog was admitted in a veterinary clinic with reports of chronic wounds in the body. Physical examination revealed erosive lesions in the limbs, nasal ulcers, presence of ectoparasites and seborrheic dermatitis. Blood samples and fragments of healthy and injured skin were collected. The complete hemogram revealed aregenerative normocytic normochromic anemia and erythrocyte rouleaux, and biochemical analysis revealed normal renal and hepatic functions. Cytology of the muzzle and skin lesions suggested pyogranulomatous inflammatory process. The histopathology of a skin fragment was performed and revealed suspicion of protozoa accompanied by necrotizing dermatitis. The diagnosis of leishmaniasis was accomplished by positive serology, isolation of Leishmania from the skin lesion, and also by molecular test (PCR targeting the conserved region of Leishmania kDNA). Culture was positive for damaged skin samples. PCR targeting a fragment of Leishmania hsp70 gene was performed employing DNA extracted from damaged skin. RFLP of the amplified hsp70 fragment identified the parasite as L. infantum, instead of Leishmania braziliensis, the main agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Rio de Janeiro. Characterization of isolated promastigotes by five different enzymatic systems confirmed the species identification of the etiological agent. Serology was positive by ELISA and rapid test. This case warns to the suspicion of viscerotropic Leishmania in cases of chronic skin lesions and brings the discussion of the mechanisms involved in the parasite tissue tropism. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Comparison of Leishmania typing results obtained from 16 European clinical laboratories in 2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van der Auwera, Gert; Bart, Aldert; Chicharro, Carmen; Cortes, Sofia; Davidsson, Leigh; Di Muccio, Trentina; Dujardin, Jean-Claude; Felger, Ingrid; Paglia, Maria Grazia; Grimm, Felix; Harms, Gundel; Jaffe, Charles L; Manser, Monika; Ravel, Christophe; Robert-Gangneux, Florence; Roelfsema, Jeroen; Töz, Seray; Verweij, Jaco J; Chiodini, Peter L

    2016-12-08

    Leishmaniasis is endemic in southern Europe, and in other European countries cases are diagnosed in travellers who have visited affected areas both within the continent and beyond. Prompt and accurate diagnosis poses a challenge in clinical practice in Europe. Different methods exist for identification of the infecting Leishmania species. Sixteen clinical laboratories in 10 European countries, plus Israel and Turkey, conducted a study to assess their genotyping performance. DNA from 21 promastigote cultures of 13 species was analysed blindly by the routinely used typing method. Five different molecular targets were used, which were analysed with PCR-based methods. Different levels of identification were achieved, and either the Leishmania subgenus, species complex, or actual species were reported. The overall error rate of strains placed in the wrong complex or species was 8.5%. Various reasons for incorrect typing were identified. The study shows there is considerable room for improvement and standardisation of Leishmania typing. The use of well validated standard operating procedures is recommended, covering testing, interpretation, and reporting guidelines. Application of the internal transcribed spacer 1 of the rDNA array should be restricted to Old World samples, while the heat-shock protein 70 gene and the mini-exon can be applied globally. This article is copyright of The Authors, 2016.

  3. Downregulation of host tryptophan-aspartate containing coat (TACO gene restricts the entry and survival of Leishmania donovani in human macrophage model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Venkateswara Reddy Gogulamudi

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Leishmania are obligate intracellular protozoan parasites of mammalian hosts. Promastigotes of Leishmania are internalized by macrophages and transformed into amastigotes in phagosomes, and replicate in phagolysosomes. Phagosomal maturation arrest is known to play a central role in the survival of pathogenic Leishmania within activated macrophages. Recently, tryptophan-aspartate containing coat (TACO gene has been recognized as playing a crucial role in the survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis within human macrophages by arresting the phagosome maturation process. We postulated that a similar association of TACO gene with phagosomes would prevent the vacuole from maturation in the case of Leishmania. In this study we attempted to define the effect of TACO gene downregulation on the uptake/survival of Leishmania donovani intracellularly, by treatment with Vitamin D3/Retinoic acid (RA & Chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA/Retinoic acid (RA combinations in human THP-1 macrophages (in vitro. Treatment with these molecules downregulated the TACO gene in macrophages, resulting in reduced parasite load and marked reduction of disease progression in L. donovani infected macrophages. Taken together, these results suggest that TACO gene downregulation may play a role in subverting macrophage machinery in establishing the L.donovani replicative niche inside the host. Our study is the first to highlight the importantrole of the TACO gene in Leishmania entry, and to identify TACO gene downregulation as potential drug target against leishmaniasis.

  4. Purine Restriction Induces Pronounced Translational Upregulation of the NT1 Adenosine/Pyrimidine Nucleoside Transporter in Leishmania major

    OpenAIRE

    Ortiz, Diana; Valdés, Raquel; Sanchez, Marco A.; Hayenga, Johanna; Elya, Carolyn; Detke, Siegfried; Landfear, Scott M.

    2010-01-01

    Leishmania and other parasitic protozoa are unable to synthesize purines de novo and are reliant upon purine nucleoside and nucleobase transporters to import preformed purines from their hosts. To study the roles of the four purine permeases NT1-NT4 in Leishmania major, null mutants in each transporter gene were prepared and the effect of each gene deletion on purine uptake was monitored. Deletion of the NT3 purine nucleobase transporter gene or both NT3 and the NT2 nucleoside transporter gen...

  5. Distinct genetic control of parasite elimination, dissemination, and disease after Leishmania major infection

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kurey, Irina; Kobets, Tetyana; Havelková, Helena; Slapničková, Martina; Quan, L.; Trtková, Kateřina; Grekov, Igor; Svobodová, M.; Stassen, A. P. M.; Hutson, A.; Demant, P.; Lipoldová, Marie

    2009-01-01

    Roč. 61, č. 9 (2009), s. 619-633 ISSN 0093-7711 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA310/06/1745; GA MŠk(CZ) LC06009 Grant - others:EC(XE) 05-1000004-7761 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520514 Keywords : Leishmania major * Parasite elimination * QTL mapping Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 2.988, year: 2009

  6. Antileishmanial Activity of Myrtle Methanolic Extract against Leishmaniamajor: an In Vitro Study

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    Hossein Mahmoudvand

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aim: In this study we assessed the in vitro antileishmanial activity of myrtle (Myrtus communis L. methanolic extract against Leishmania major. Materials and Methods: The in vitro antileishmanial effects of myrtle methanolic extract against L. major promastigote and amastigotes were determined by colorimetric cell viability (MTT assay and macrophage model, respectively. The IC50 values were also calculated by probit test in SPSS software. Results:The obtained results showed that myrtle extract was significantly inhibited promastigote growth of L. major based on a dose and time dependent manner. The measured IC50 values for myrtle methanolic extract and MA as control drug against promastigote forms of L. major were 23.6 µg/mL and 88.3 µg/mL, respectively. The obtained IC50 values were 13.8

  7. Structural insights into leishmanolysins encoded on chromosome 10 of Leishmania (Viannia braziliensis

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    Amanda Sutter

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND Leishmanolysins have been described as important parasite virulence factors because of their roles in the infection of promastigotes and resistance to host’s defenses. Leishmania (Viannia braziliensis contains several leishmanolysin genes in its genome, especially in chromosome 10. However, the functional impact of such diversity is not understood, but may be attributed partially to the lack of structural data for proteins from this parasite. OBJECTIVES This works aims to compare leishmanolysin sequences from L. (V. braziliensis and to understand how the diversity impacts in their structural and dynamic features. METHODS Leishmanolysin sequences were retrieved from GeneDB. Subsequently, 3D models were built using comparative modeling methods and their dynamical behavior was studied using molecular dynamic simulations. FINDINGS We identified three subgroups of leishmanolysins according to sequence variations. These differences directly affect the electrostatic properties of leishmanolysins and the geometry of their active sites. We identified two levels of structural heterogeneity that might be related to the ability of promastigotes to interact with a broad range of substrates. MAIN CONCLUSION Altogether, the structural plasticity of leishmanolysins may constitute an important evolutionary adaptation rarely explored when considering the virulence of L. (V. braziliensis parasites.

  8. Characterization of a midgut mucin-like glycoconjugate of Lutzomyia longipalpis with a potential role in Leishmania attachment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Myšková, Jitka; Dostálová, Anna; Pěničková, Lucie; Halada, Petr; Bates, Paul A; Volf, Petr

    2016-07-25

    Leishmania parasites are transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies and a crucial step in their life-cycle is the binding to the sand fly midgut. Laboratory studies on sand fly competence to Leishmania parasites suggest that the sand flies fall into two groups: several species are termed "specific/restricted" vectors that support the development of one Leishmania species only, while the others belong to so-called "permissive" vectors susceptible to a wide range of Leishmania species. In a previous study we revealed a correlation between specificity vs permissivity of the vector and glycosylation of its midgut proteins. Lutzomyia longipalpis and other four permissive species tested possessed O-linked glycoproteins whereas none were detected in three specific vectors examined. We used a combination of biochemical, molecular and parasitological approaches to characterize biochemical and biological properties of O-linked glycoprotein of Lu. longipalpis. Lectin blotting and mass spectrometry revealed that this molecule with an apparent molecular weight about 45-50 kDa corresponds to a putative 19 kDa protein with unknown function detected in a midgut cDNA library of Lu. longipalpis. We produced a recombinant glycoprotein rLuloG with molecular weight around 45 kDa. Anti-rLuloG antibodies localize the native glycoprotein on epithelial midgut surface of Lu. longipalpis. Although we could not prove involvement of LuloG in Leishmania attachment by blocking the native protein with anti-rLuloG during sand fly infections, we demonstrated strong binding of rLuloG to whole surface of Leishmania promastigotes. We characterized a novel O-glycoprotein from sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis. It has mucin-like properties and is localized on the luminal side of the midgut epithelium. Recombinant form of the protein binds to Leishmania parasites in vitro. We propose a role of this molecule in Leishmania attachment to sand fly midgut.

  9. KSAC, a defined Leishmania antigen, plus adjuvant protects against the virulence of L. major transmitted by its natural vector Phlebotomus duboscqi.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Regis Gomes

    Full Text Available Recombinant KSAC and L110f are promising Leishmania vaccine candidates. Both antigens formulated in stable emulsions (SE with the natural TLR4 agonist MPL® and L110f with the synthetic TLR4 agonist GLA in SE protected BALB/c mice against L. major infection following needle challenge. Considering the virulence of vector-transmitted Leishmania infections, we vaccinated BALB/c mice with either KSAC+GLA-SE or L110f+GLA-SE to assess protection against L. major transmitted via its vector Phlebotomus duboscqi.Mice receiving the KSAC or L110f vaccines were challenged by needle or L. major-infected sand flies. Weekly disease progression and terminal parasite loads were determined. Immunological responses to KSAC, L110f, or soluble Leishmania antigen (SLA were assessed throughout vaccination, three and twelve weeks after immunization, and one week post-challenge.Following sand fly challenge, KSAC-vaccinated mice were protected while L110f-vaccinated animals showed partial protection. Protection correlated with the ability of SLA to induce IFN-γ-producing CD4(+CD62L(lowCCR7(low effector memory T cells pre- and post-sand fly challenge.This study demonstrates the protective efficacy of KSAC+GLA-SE against sand fly challenge; the importance of vector-transmitted challenge in evaluating vaccine candidates against Leishmania infection; and the necessity of a rapid potent Th1 response against Leishmania to attain true protection.

  10. GRIND2-based 3D-QSAR and prediction of activity spectra for symmetrical bis-pyridinium salts with promastigote antileishmanial activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diniz, Evelyn Mirella Lopes Pina; Tomich de Paula da Silva, Carlos Henrique; Gómez-Perez, Verónica; Federico, Leonardo Bruno; Campos Rosa, Joaquín María

    2017-08-01

    Leishmaniasis is a major group of neglected tropical diseases caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania. About 12 million people are affected in 98 countries and 350 million people worldwide are at risk of infection. Current leishmaniasis treatments rely on a relatively small arsenal of drugs, including amphotericin B, pentamidine and others, which in general have some type of inconvenience. Recently, we have synthesized antileishmanial bis-pyridinium derivatives and symmetrical bis-pyridinium cyclophanes. These compounds are considered structural analogues of pentamidine, where the amidino moiety, protonated at physiological pH, is replaced by a positively charged nitrogen atom as a pyridinium ring. In this work, a statistically significant GRIND2-based 3D-QSAR model was built and biological activity predictions were in silico carried out allowing rationalization of the different activities recently obtained against Leishmania donovani (in L. donovani promastigotes) for a data set of 19 bis-pyridinium compounds. We will emphasize the most important structural requirements to improve the biological activity and probable interactions with the biological receptor as a guide for lead and prototype optimization. In addition, since no information about the actual biological target for this series of active compounds is provided, we have used Prediction of Activity Spectra for Biologically Active Substances to propose our compounds as potential nicotinic α6β3β4α5 receptor antagonists. This proposal is reinforced by the high structural similarity observed between our compounds and several anthelmintic drugs in current clinical use, which have the same drug action mechanism here predicted. Such new findings would be confirmed with further and additional experimental assays.

  11. Separation and mapping of multiple genes that control IgE level in Leishmania major infected mice

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Bádalová, J.; Svobodová, M.; Havelková, Helena; Vladimirov, Vladimir; Vojtíšková, Jarmila; Engová, J.; Pilčík, Tomáš; Volf, P.; Demant, P.; Lipoldová, Marie

    2002-01-01

    Roč. 2002, č. 3 (2002), s. 187-195 ISSN 1466-4879 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5052915 Keywords : IgE * quantitative trait * Leishmania major, Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 3.060, year: 2002

  12. Leishmanicidal, antiplasmodial and cytotoxic activity of indole alkaloids from Corynanthe pachyceras

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Staerk, D; Lemmich, E; Christensen, J

    2000-01-01

    -NMR resonances by COSY and NOESY experiments. These and related alkaloids showed pronounced activity against Leishmania major promastigotes (IC50 at the micromolar level) but no significant in vitro antiplasmodial activity (against chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium falciparum). Cytotoxicity assessed with drug...

  13. Identification of a differentially expressed mRNA in axenic Leishmania panamensis amastigotes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Arturo Gutiérrez

    2001-08-01

    Full Text Available Differential display technique was applied in order to identify transcripts which are present in axenic amastigotes but not in promastigotes of the Leishmania panamensis parasites. One of them was cloned and the sequence reveals an open reading frame of 364 amino acids (aprox. 40 kDa. The deduced protein is homologous to the serine/threonine protein kinases and specially to the mitogen activates protein kinases from eukaryotic species. Southern blot analysis suggest that this transcript, named lpmkh, is present in the genome of the parasite as a single copy gene. These results could imply that lpmkh could be involved in the differentiation process or the preservation of amastigotes in axenic conditions.

  14. First molecular detection of Leishmania major within naturally infected Phlebotomus salehi from a zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis focus in southern Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azizi, K; Fakoorziba, M R; Jalali, M; Moemenbellah-Fard, M D

    2012-03-01

    Human cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a major notifiable public health problem in many parts of Iran. It is often caused by the zooflagellate parasite Leishmania major which is mainly transmitted by the bites of female phlebotomine sandflies belonging to the genus Phlebotomus (Diptera: Psychodidae). The annual incidence of CL in Fars province, southern Iran, was about 108-144 in 2007. The leishmanial infections of wild sandflies that may act as vectors were thus investigated at an endemic focus in this province. In all 330 female Phlebotomus sandflies were screened for the detection of Leishmania-specific kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. A two stage nested PCR protocol was used to establish the identity of Leishmania major species in naturally infected sandflies. The L. major kDNA was detected in 18 (5.5%) individual sandflies which belonged to four different Phlebotomus species (Phlebotomus papatasi, Phlebotomus salehi, Phlebotomus sergenti and P. major group). For the first time, one naturally infected P. salehi specimen contained the kDNA of the protozoan parasite, L. major, with a main band of 560 base pairs identified using the nested PCR method. It seems most likely therefore that P. salehi is potentially a rare sylvatic vector of L. major parasites in parts of this province. This is the first combined morphological and molecular studies of P. salehi in Iran.

  15. Effects of trans-stilbene and terphenyl compounds on different strains of Leishmania and on cytokines production from infected macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruno, Federica; Castelli, Germano; Vitale, Fabrizio; Giacomini, Elisa; Roberti, Marinella; Colomba, Claudia; Cascio, Antonio; Tolomeo, Manlio

    2018-01-01

    Most of the antileishmanial modern therapies are not satisfactory due to high toxicity or emergence of resistance and high cost of treatment. Previously, we observed that two compounds of a small library of trans-stilbene and terphenyl derivatives, ST18 and TR4, presented the best activity and safety profiles against Leishmania infantum promastigotes and amastigotes. In the present study we evaluated the effects of ST18 and the TR4 in 6 different species of Leishmania and the modifications induced by these two compounds in the production of 8 different cytokines from infected macrophages. We observed that TR4 was potently active in all Leishmania species tested in the study showing a leishmanicidal activity higher than that of ST18 and meglumine antimoniate in the most of the species. Moreover, TR4 was able to decrease the levels of IL-10, a cytokine able to render the host macrophage inactive allowing the persistence of parasites inside its phagolysosome, and increase the levels of IL-1β, a cytokine important for host resistance to Leishmania infection by inducible iNOS-mediated production of NO, and IL-18, a cytokine implicated in the development of Th1-type immune response. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of Leishmania major glyoxalase I

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ariza, Antonio; Vickers, Tim J.; Greig, Neil; Fairlamb, Alan H.; Bond, Charles S., E-mail: c.s.bond@dundee.ac.uk [Division of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Microbiology, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH,Scotland (United Kingdom)

    2005-08-01

    The detoxification enzyme glyoxalase I from L. major has been crystallized. Preliminary molecular-replacement calculations indicate the presence of three glyoxalase I dimers in the asymmetric unit. Glyoxalase I (GLO1) is a putative drug target for trypanosomatids, which are pathogenic protozoa that include the causative agents of leishmaniasis. Significant sequence and functional differences between Leishmania major and human GLO1 suggest that it may make a suitable template for rational inhibitor design. L. major GLO1 was crystallized in two forms: the first is extremely disordered and does not diffract, while the second, an orthorhombic form, produces diffraction to 2.0 Å. Molecular-replacement calculations indicate that there are three GLO1 dimers in the asymmetric unit, which take up a helical arrangement with their molecular dyads arranged approximately perpendicular to the c axis. Further analysis of these data are under way.

  17. INTRACELLULAR Leishmania amazonensis KILLING INDUCED BY THE GUANINE NUCLEOSIDE 8-BROMOGUANOSINE

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    GIORGIO Selma

    1998-01-01

    Full Text Available In this study we investigated the effect of 8-Bromoguanosine, an immunostimulatory compound, on the cytotoxicity of macrophages against Leishmania amazonensis in an in vitro system. The results showed that macrophages treated with 8-Bromoguanosine before or after infection are capable to reduce parasite load, as monitored by the number of amastigotes per macrophage and the percentage of infected cells (i.e. phagocytic index. Since 8-Bromoguanosine was not directly toxic to the promastigotes, it was concluded that the ribonucleoside induced macrophage activation. Presumably, 8-Bromoguanosine primed macrophages by inducing interferon alpha and beta which ultimately led to L. amazonensis amastigote killing. The results suggest that guanine ribonucleosides may be useful to treat infections with intracellular pathogens.

  18. Immunization against Leishmania major infection using LACK- and IL-12-expressing Lactococcus lactis induces delay in footpad swelling.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Felix Hugentobler

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Leishmania is a mammalian parasite affecting over 12 million individuals worldwide. Current treatments are expensive, cause severe side effects, and emerging drug resistance has been reported. Vaccination is the most cost-effective means to control infectious disease but currently there is no vaccine available against Leishmaniasis. Lactococcus lactis is a non-pathogenic, non-colonizing Gram-positive lactic acid bacterium commonly used in the dairy industry. Recently, L. lactis was used to express biologically active molecules including vaccine antigens and cytokines. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We report the generation of L. lactis strains expressing the protective Leishmania antigen, LACK, in the cytoplasm, secreted or anchored to the bacterial cell wall. L. lactis was also engineered to secrete biologically active single chain mouse IL-12. Subcutaneous immunization with live L. lactis expressing LACK anchored to the cell wall and L. lactis secreting IL-12 significantly delayed footpad swelling in Leishmania major infected BALB/c mice. The delay in footpad swelling correlated with a significant reduction of parasite burden in immunized animals compared to control groups. Immunization with these two L. lactis strains induced antigen-specific multifunctional T(H1 CD4(+ and CD8(+ T cells and a systemic LACK-specific T(H1 immune response. Further, protection in immunized animals correlated with a Leishmania-specific T(H1 immune response post-challenge. L. lactis secreting mouse IL-12 was essential for directing immune responses to LACK towards a protective T(H1 response. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This report demonstrates the use of L. lactis as a live vaccine against L. major infection in BALB/c mice. The strains generated in this study provide the basis for the development of an inexpensive and safe vaccine against the human parasite Leishmania.

  19. Immunization against Leishmania major Infection Using LACK- and IL-12-Expressing Lactococcus lactis Induces Delay in Footpad Swelling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hugentobler, Felix; Yam, Karen K.; Gillard, Joshua; Mahbuba, Raya; Olivier, Martin; Cousineau, Benoit

    2012-01-01

    Background Leishmania is a mammalian parasite affecting over 12 million individuals worldwide. Current treatments are expensive, cause severe side effects, and emerging drug resistance has been reported. Vaccination is the most cost-effective means to control infectious disease but currently there is no vaccine available against Leishmaniasis. Lactococcus lactis is a non-pathogenic, non-colonizing Gram-positive lactic acid bacterium commonly used in the dairy industry. Recently, L. lactis was used to express biologically active molecules including vaccine antigens and cytokines. Methodology/Principal findings We report the generation of L. lactis strains expressing the protective Leishmania antigen, LACK, in the cytoplasm, secreted or anchored to the bacterial cell wall. L. lactis was also engineered to secrete biologically active single chain mouse IL-12. Subcutaneous immunization with live L. lactis expressing LACK anchored to the cell wall and L. lactis secreting IL-12 significantly delayed footpad swelling in Leishmania major infected BALB/c mice. The delay in footpad swelling correlated with a significant reduction of parasite burden in immunized animals compared to control groups. Immunization with these two L. lactis strains induced antigen-specific multifunctional TH1 CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and a systemic LACK-specific TH1 immune response. Further, protection in immunized animals correlated with a Leishmania-specific TH1 immune response post-challenge. L. lactis secreting mouse IL-12 was essential for directing immune responses to LACK towards a protective TH1 response. Conclusions/Significance This report demonstrates the use of L. lactis as a live vaccine against L. major infection in BALB/c mice. The strains generated in this study provide the basis for the development of an inexpensive and safe vaccine against the human parasite Leishmania. PMID:22348031

  20. An in vitro study of antileishmanial effect of Portulaca oleracea extract.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eskandari, Elham Gharirvand; Doudi, Monir; Abedi, Saeid

    2016-01-01

    Leishmaniasis is caused by protozoa of Leishmania genus and is considered as a zoonotic disease. It is a major public health problem worldwide, with high endemicity in developing countries like Iran. Various chemical drugs are used for leishmaniasis treatment, but their side-effects and the emergence of drug resistance have led to look for new effective compounds. The aim of this study was to introduce purslane (Portulaca oleracea) as a traditional and medicinal herb which might act as a valuable source for designing new pharmaceutical drug/lead against Leishmania sp. This study was conducted in the laboratory of Seddigheh Tahereh Infectious Disease Research Center, Isfahan, Iran during the spring of 2015. The essence from the purslane plant was prepared through water distillation and the alcoholic extract was prepared through maceration method. The essence was dried, and diluted with DMSO (5%). Leishmania major promastigotes were cultured in 25 ΁ 2΀C temperature in the stationary phase of RPMI-1640 medium, enriched with 10% fetal calf serum and penicillin-streptomycin to yield higher quantity. The biological activity of herb essence was evaluated on L. major promastigotes and compared to glucantime reference drug using methylthiazole tetrazolium (MTT) colorometric assay. The optical density absorbance was measured with Eliza reader set, and the IC50 value was calculated at different time intervals. All tests were repeated thrice. Results were analyzed by using Tukey test and t-test. The IC50 values after 48 h, for glucantime against standard parasite promastigotes and clinical strains were equal to 12 and 19 mg/ml, respectively, whereas for purslane herb leaves and stems essence; it was equal to 360 and 680 mg/ml, respectively. Although, the glucantime pharmaceutical drug was more efficient compared to the investigated herb essence, the essense had significant effect on L. major promastigotes with increasing density (p <0.05). The ingredients of the herb leaves

  1. DNA vaccination with a plasmid encoding LACK-TSA fusion against Leishmania major infection in BALB/c mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maspi, N; Ghaffarifar, F; Sharifi, Z; Dalimi, A; Khademi, S Z

    2017-12-01

    Vaccination would be the most important strategy for the prevention and elimination of leishmaniasis. The aim of the present study was to compare the immune responses induced following DNA vaccination with LACK (Leishmania analogue of the receptor kinase C), TSA (Thiol-specific-antioxidant) genes alone or LACK-TSA fusion against cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Cellular and humoral immune responses were evaluated before and after challenge with Leishmania major (L. major). In addition, the mean lesion size was also measured from 3th week post-infection. All immunized mice showed a partial immunity characterized by higher interferon (IFN)-γ and Immunoglobulin G (IgG2a) levels compared to control groups (pTSA fusion. Mean lesion sizes reduced significantly in all immunized mice compared with control groups at 7th week post-infection (pTSA and TSA groups than LACK group after challenge (pTSA antigens against CL. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that a bivalent vaccine can induce stronger immune responses and protection against infectious challenge with L. major.

  2. Molecular characterization of 5S ribosomal RNA genes and transcripts in the protozoan parasite Leishmania major.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreno-Campos, Rodrigo; Florencio-Martínez, Luis E; Nepomuceno-Mejía, Tomás; Rojas-Sánchez, Saúl; Vélez-Ramírez, Daniel E; Padilla-Mejía, Norma E; Figueroa-Angulo, Elisa; Manning-Cela, Rebeca; Martínez-Calvillo, Santiago

    2016-12-01

    Eukaryotic 5S rRNA, synthesized by RNA polymerase III (Pol III), is an essential component of the large ribosomal subunit. Most organisms contain hundreds of 5S rRNA genes organized into tandem arrays. However, the genome of the protozoan parasite Leishmania major contains only 11 copies of the 5S rRNA gene, which are interspersed and associated with other Pol III-transcribed genes. Here we report that, in general, the number and order of the 5S rRNA genes is conserved between different species of Leishmania. While in most organisms 5S rRNA genes are normally associated with the nucleolus, combined fluorescent in situ hybridization and indirect immunofluorescence experiments showed that 5S rRNA genes are mainly located at the nuclear periphery in L. major. Similarly, the tandemly repeated 5S rRNA genes in Trypanosoma cruzi are dispersed throughout the nucleus. In contrast, 5S rRNA transcripts in L. major were localized within the nucleolus, and scattered throughout the cytoplasm, where mature ribosomes are located. Unlike other rRNA species, stable antisense RNA complementary to 5S rRNA is not detected in L. major.

  3. Leishmania tropica isolates from non-healed and healed patients in Iran: A molecular typing and phylogenetic analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bamorovat, Mehdi; Sharifi, Iraj; Mohammadi, Mohammad Ali; Eybpoosh, Sana; Nasibi, Saeid; Aflatoonian, Mohammad Reza; Khosravi, Ahmad

    2018-03-01

    The precise identification of the parasite species causing leishmaniasis is essential for selecting proper treatment modality. The present study aims to compare the nucleotide variations of the ITS1, 7SL RNA, and Hsp70 sequences between non-healed and healed anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) patients in major foci in Iran. A case-control study was carried out from September 2015 to October 2016 in the cities of Kerman and Bam, in the southeast of Iran. Randomly selected skin-scraping lesions of 40 patients (20 non-healed and 20 healed) were examined and the organisms were grown in a culture medium. Promastigotes were collected by centrifugation and kept for further molecular examinations. The extracted DNA was amplified and sequenced. After global sequence alignment with BioEdit software, maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis was performed in PhyML for typing of Leishmania isolates. Nucleotide composition of each genetic region was also compared between non-healed and healed patients. Our results showed that all isolates belonged to the Leishmania tropica complex, with their genetic composition in the ITS1 region being different among non-healed and healed patients. 7SL RNA and Hsp70 regions were genetically identical between both groups. Variability in nucleotide patterns observed between both groups in the ITS1 region may serve to encourage future research on the function of these polymorphisms and may improve our understanding of the role of parasite genome properties on patients' response to Leishmania treatment. Our results also do not support future use of 7SL RNA and Hsp70 regions of the parasite for comparative genomic analyses. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Inoculação experimental de Equus asinus com Leishmania chagasi Cunha & Chagas, 1937 Experimental infection of Equus asinus with Leishmania chagasi Cunha & Chagas, 1937

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elúzio José Lima Cerqueira

    2003-12-01

    Full Text Available Quatro Equus asinus foram inoculados com promastigotas de Leishmania chagasi Cunha & Chagas, 1937 e acompanhados durante 12 meses através de: pesquisa de amastigotas em esfregaços e culturas de sangue periférico em fragmentos de tecido do lábio inferior, medula óssea, baço e fígado e de testes de ELISA e TRALd. Estes foram positivos nos 8º, 10º e 12º meses após a inoculação. O exame histopatológico pós necropsia, demonstrou discreto número de amastigotas no fígado de dois dos eqüídeos inoculados. Apesar de desafiados com elevado número de promastigotas, os animais não desenvolveram infecções patentes e não infectaram experimentalmente a vetora Lutzomya longipalpis. Os resultados induzem a acreditar que os eqüídeos são desprovidos de importância como reservatórios na cadeia de transmissão da leishmaniose visceral, embora sirvam como boa fonte de alimentação sangüínea e proliferação da vetora Lutzomyia longipalpis.Four Equus asinus were challenged with promastigotes of Leishmania chagasi Cunha & Chagas, 1937, and followed up for 12 months. They were observed by means of direct testing for promastigotes in smears and culture of peripheral blood, fragments from inferior lip, bone marrow, spleen and liver and the immunological assays ELISA and TRALd. The post-necropsy histological examination demonstrated a small number of amastigotes in the liver of two animals. ELISA and TRALd tests were positive at the 8th, 10th and 12th month after inoculation. The results suggest that the donkeys were able to overcome the experimental leishmanial infection and did not infect the vector Lutzomyia longipalpis in the laboratory. Consequently they can not be considered an important reservoir in the epidemiological chain of transmission of visceral leishmaniasis, although they represent an important blood source for the vector and its proliferation.

  5. HIV aspartyl peptidase inhibitors interfere with cellular proliferation, ultrastructure and macrophage infection of Leishmania amazonensis.

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    Lívia O Santos

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Leishmania is the etiologic agent of leishmanisais, a protozoan disease whose pathogenic events are not well understood. Current therapy is suboptimal due to toxicity of the available therapeutic agents and the emergence of drug resistance. Compounding these problems is the increase in the number of cases of Leishmania-HIV coinfection, due to the overlap between the AIDS epidemic and leishmaniasis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In the present report, we have investigated the effect of HIV aspartyl peptidase inhibitors (PIs on the Leishmania amazonensis proliferation, ultrastructure, interaction with macrophage cells and expression of classical peptidases which are directly involved in the Leishmania pathogenesis. All the HIV PIs impaired parasite growth in a dose-dependent fashion, especially nelfinavir and lopinavir. HIV PIs treatment caused profound changes in the leishmania ultrastructure as shown by transmission electron microscopy, including cytoplasm shrinking, increase in the number of lipid inclusions and some cells presenting the nucleus closely wrapped by endoplasmic reticulum resembling an autophagic process, as well as chromatin condensation which is suggestive of apoptotic death. The hydrolysis of HIV peptidase substrate by L. amazonensis extract was inhibited by pepstatin and HIV PIs, suggesting that an aspartyl peptidase may be the intracellular target of the inhibitors. The treatment with HIV PIs of either the promastigote forms preceding the interaction with macrophage cells or the amastigote forms inside macrophages drastically reduced the association indexes. Despite all these beneficial effects, the HIV PIs induced an increase in the expression of cysteine peptidase b (cpb and the metallopeptidase gp63, two well-known virulence factors expressed by Leishmania spp. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: In the face of leishmaniasis/HIV overlap, it is critical to further comprehend the sophisticated interplays among Leishmania

  6. Mapping of a Leishmania major gene/locus that confers pentamidine resistance by deletion and insertion of transposable element

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Coelho Adriano C.

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Pentamidine (PEN is an alternative compound to treat antimony-resistant leishmaniasis patients, which cellular target remains unclear. One approach to the identification of prospective targets is to identify genes able to mediate PEN resistance following overexpression. Starting from a genomic library of transfected parasites bearing a multicopy episomal cosmid vector containing wild-type Leishmania major DNA, we isolated one locus capable to render PEN resistance to wild type cells after DNA transfection. In order to map this Leishmania locus, cosmid insert was deleted by two successive sets of partial digestion with restriction enzymes, followed by transfection into wild type cells, overexpression, induction and functional tests in the presence of PEN. To determine the Leishmania gene related to PEN resistance, nucleotide sequencing experiments were done through insertion of the transposon Mariner element of Drosophila melanogaster (mosK into the deleted insert to work as primer island. Using general molecular techniques, we described here this method that permits a quickly identification of a functional gene facilitating nucleotide sequence experiments from large DNA fragments. Followed experiments revealed the presence of a P-Glycoprotein gene in this locus which role in Leishmania metabolism has now been analyzed.

  7. Amplified DNAs in laboratory stocks of Leishmania tarentolae: extrachromosomal circles structurally and functionally similar to the inverted-H-region amplification of methotrexate-resistant Leishmania major

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petrillo-Peixoto, M.L.; Beverley, S.M.

    1988-01-01

    We describe the structure of amplified DNA that was discovered in two laboratory stocks of the protozoan parasite Leishmania tarentolae. Restriction mapping and molecular cloning revealed that a region of 42 kilobases was amplified 8- to 30-fold in these lines. Southern blot analyses of digested DNAs or chromosomes separated by pulsed-field electrophoresis showed that the amplified DNA corresponded to the H region, a locus defined originally by its amplification in methotrexate-resistant Leishmania major. Similarities between the amplified DNA of the two species included (i) extensive cross-hybridization; (ii) approximate conservation of sequence order; (iii) extrachromosomal localization; (iv) an overall inverted, head-to-head configuration as a circular 140-kilobase tetrameric molecule; (v) two regions of DNA sequence rearrangement, each of which was closely associated with the two centers of the inverted repeats; (vi) association with methotrexate resistance; and (vii) phenotypically conservative amplification, in which the wild-type chromosomal arrangement was retained without apparent modification. Our data showed that amplified DNA mediating drug resistance arose in unselected L. tarentolae, although the pressures leading to apparently spontaneous amplification and maintenance of the H region are not known. The simple structure and limited extent of DNA amplified in these and other Leishmania lines suggests that the study of gene amplification in Leishmania spp. offers an attractive model system for the study of amplification in cultured mammalian cells and tumors. We also introduced a method for measuring the size of large circular DNAs, using gamma-irradiation to introduce limited double-strand breaks followed by sizing of the linear DNAs by pulsed-field electrophoresis

  8. Combined effect of the essential oil from Chenopodium ambrosioides and antileishmanial drugs on promastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis

    OpenAIRE

    Monzote,Lianet; Montalvo,Ana Margarita; Scull,Ramón; Miranda,Migdalia; Abreu,Juan

    2007-01-01

    To date, there are no vaccines against Leishmania, and chemotherapy remains the mainstay for the control of leishmaniasis. The drugs of choice used for leishmaniasis therapy are significantly toxic, expensive and with a growing frequency of refractory infections. Because of these limitations, a combination therapy is the better hope. This work demonstrates that the essential oil from Chenopodium ambrosioides shows a synergic activity after incubation in conjunction with pentamidine against pr...

  9. Experimental treatment with sodium stibogluconate of hamsters infected with Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi and Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis Tratamento experimental com stibogluconato de sódio em hamsters infectados com Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi e Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis

    OpenAIRE

    Elizabeth M. de Figueiredo; Jaime Costa e Silva; Reginaldo P. Brazil

    1999-01-01

    The present paper reports the experimental treatment of hamsters infected with Leishmania chagasi and Leishmania amazonensis with sodium stibogluconate (20mg/kg/day x 20 days). Only with L. chagasi did the treatment result in the complete elimination of parasites from the spleen. However, no parasitological cure was achieved in hamsters infected with L. amazonensis.O presente trabalho é um relato do tratamento experimental de hamsters infectado com Leishmania chagasi e Leishmania amazonensis ...

  10. Selective effect of 2',6'-dihydroxy-4'-methoxychalcone isolated from Piper aduncum on Leishmania amazonensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torres-Santos, E C; Moreira, D L; Kaplan, M A; Meirelles, M N; Rossi-Bergmann, B

    1999-05-01

    2',6'-Dihydroxy-4'-methoxychalcone (DMC) was purified from the dichloromethane extract of Piper aduncum inflorescences. DMC showed significant activity in vitro against promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis, with 50% effective doses of 0.5 and 24 micrograms/ml, respectively. Its inhibitory effect on amastigotes is apparently a direct effect on the parasites and is not due to activation of the nitrogen oxidative metabolism of macrophages, since the production of nitric oxide by both unstimulated and recombinant gamma interferon-stimulated macrophages was decreased rather than increased with DMC. The phagocytic activity of macrophages was functioning normally even with DMC concentrations as high as 80 micrograms/ml, as seen by electron microscopy and by the uptake of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled beads. Ultrastructural studies also showed that in the presence of DMC the mitochondria of promastigotes were enlarged and disorganized. Despite destruction of intracellular amastigotes, no disarrangement of macrophage organelles were observed, even at 80 micrograms of DMC/ml. These observations suggest that DMC is selectively toxic to the parasites. Its simple structure may well enable it to serve as a new lead compound for the synthesis of novel antileishmanial drugs.

  11. Molecular identification of Leishmania species in Taybad district, Iran

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    Salehi Ghodratollah

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To identify Leishmania species in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis in the city of Taybad in Razavi Khorasan Province from April 2012 to March 2013. Methods: Among 52 persons who referred to Health Center of Taybad with suspected skin lesions, stained slide smears of 35 patients showed positive result for Leishmania. Also polymerase chain reaction assay performed using specific kDNA primers. Data of patients were analyzed with SPSS. Results: Of 35 positive smears for Leishmania, 21 (60% belonged to males and 14 (40% belonged to females. Polymerase chain reaction bands were observed in all 35 samples of which 31 (88.6% samples showed Leishmania tropica and 4 (11.4% showed Leishmania major. The highest infected age group was 11-20 years old. Conclusions: Both anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis and zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis are present in Taybad. Leishmania tropica is the dominant causative species for anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis. Further study is recommended to discover probable reservoir and vector for Leishmania major in Taybad.

  12. Induction of apoptosis by zerumbone isolated from Zingiber zerumbet (L. Smith in protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani due to oxidative stress

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    Debarati Mukherjee

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In the present context of emergence of resistance aligned with the conventional anti-leishmanial drugs and occasional treatment failure compelled us to continue the search for replaceable therapeutic leads against Leishmania infection. Various ginger spices of the Zingiberaceae family are widely used as spices, flavouring agents, and medicines in Southeast Asia because of their unique flavour as well as due to their medicinal properties. Zerumbone, a natural component of Zingiber zerumbet (L. Smith, has been studied for its pharmacological potential as antiulcer, antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial. In this study, we have shown that zerumbone could induce ROS mediated apoptosis in Leishmania donovani promastigotes and also found effective in reducing intracellular amastigotes in infected-macrophages. We emphasized the potential of zerumbone to be employed in the development of new therapeutic drugs against L. donovani infection and provided the basis for future research on the application of transitional medicinal plants.

  13. Cellular and humoral immune responses in a population from the Baringo District, Kenya to Leishmania promastigote lipophosphoglycan

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kurtzhals, J A; Hey, A S; Theander, T G

    1992-01-01

    In a cross-sectional house-to-house study in a leishmaniasis-endemic area in Kenya, the cellular and humoral immune response to Leishmania lipophosphoglycan (LPG) was determined. Clinical data, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and plasma were obtained from 50 individuals over the age of eight...

  14. Prophylactic immunization against experimental leishmaniasis. III. Protection against fatal Leishmania tropica infection induced by irradiated promastigotes involves Lyt-1+2- T cells that do not mediate cutaneous DTH

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liew, F.Y.; Howard, J.G.; Hale, C.

    1984-01-01

    Protective immunity against fatal L. tropica infection in genetically vulnerable BALB/c mice can be induced by prophylactic immunization with irradiated promastigotes even when heat-killed. Such immunity is adoptively transferable transiently into intact or durably into sub-lethally irradiated (200 or 550 rad) syngeneic recipients by splenic T but not B cells. The effector T cells are of the Lyt-1 + 2 - phenotype, devoid of demonstrable cytotoxic activity. The immune splenic T cell population expresses specific helper activity for antibody synthesis. A causal role for helper T cells in this capacity, however, seems unlikely, because it was shown that antibody does not determine the protective immunity against L. tropica. The immunized donors show no detectable cutaneous DTH or its early memory recall in response to live or killed promastigotes or a soluble L. tropica antigen preparation. Spleen, lymph node, and peritoneal exudate cells from protectively immunized donors similarly fail to transfer DTH locally or systemically. These cells also lack demonstrable suppressive activity against the expression or induction of DTH to L. tropica. Thus, protection against L. tropica induced by prophylactic i.v. immunization with irradiated promastigotes appears to be conferred by Lyt-1 + 2 - T cells that are distinguishable from T cells mediating either both DTH and T help, or cytotoxicity

  15. Characterization of the local and systemic immune responses in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania major

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gaafar, A; Veress, B; Permin, H

    1999-01-01

    In this study skin biopsies and peripheral blood samples were obtained from patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania major. Samples were obtained at diagnosis and during healing when the lesions had regressed to half the original size. At diagnosis most of the cells expressed HLA...

  16. Antileishmanial activity and tubulin polymerization inhibition of podophyllotoxin derivatives on Leishmania infantum

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    José Miguel Escudero-Martínez

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Leishmania microtubules play an important role not only in cell division, but also in keeping the shape of the parasite and motility of its free-living stages. Microtubules result from the self-assembly of alpha and beta tubulins, two phylogenetically conserved and very abundant eukaryotic proteins in kinetoplastids. The colchicine binding domain has inspired the discovery and development of several drugs currently in clinical use against parasites. However, this domain is less conserved in kinetoplastids and may be selectively targeted by new compounds. This report shows the antileishmanial effect of several series of compounds (53, derived from podophyllotoxin (a natural cyclolignan isolated from rhizomes of Podophyllum spp. and podophyllic aldehyde, on a transgenic, fluorescence-emitting strain of Leishmania infantum. These compounds were tested on both promastigotes and amastigote-infected mouse splenocytes, and in mammalian – mouse non-infected splenocytes and liver HepG2 cells – in order to determine selective indexes of the drugs. Results obtained with podophyllotoxin derivatives showed that the hydroxyl group at position C-7α was a structural requisite to kill the parasites. On regards podophyllic aldehyde, derivatives with C9-aldehyde group integrated into a bicyclic heterostructure displayed more potent antileishmanial effects and were relatively safe for host cells. Docking studies of podophyllotoxin and podophyllic aldehyde derivatives showed that these compounds share a similar pattern of interaction at the colchicine site of Leishmania tubulin, thus pointing to a common mechanism of action. However, the results obtained suggested that despite tubulin is a remarkable target against leishmaniasis, there is a poor correlation between inhibition of tubulin polymerization and antileishmanial effect of many of the compounds tested, fact that points to alternative pathways to kill the parasites. Keywords: Leishmania, Tubulin, DNA

  17. Identification and biochemical characterization of Leishmania strains isolated in Peru, Mexico, and Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez-González, Isabel; Marín, Clotilde; Vargas, Franklin; Córdova, Ofelia; Barrera, Mario; Gutiérrez-Sánchez, Ramón; Alunda, Jose María; Sánchez-Moreno, Manuel

    2006-01-01

    Eight Leishmania promastigotes were isolated from different geographical areas: three (LP1, LP2, and LP3) from the provincial department La Libertad and the fourth (LP4) from the department of Cajamarca (northern Peru); another three (LM1, LM2, and LM3) in the province of Campeche (Mexico); and the last (LS1) from a clinical case of a dog in Madrid (Spain). The isolates were characterized by carbohydrate cell-surface residues using agglutinations with four purified lectins, by isoenzyme analysis using different isoenzymes, by analysis of kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) restriction fragment length polymorphism using four different restriction endonucleases and by the final metabolite patterns after in vitro culture. These isolates were compared with four reference strains and typified as: Leishmania (Leishmania) donovani, two strains of L. (L.) infantum, and one species of L. (Viania) peruviana. According to our results and the statistical study, the Peruvian isolates represent three different strains: one would be L. (V.) peruviana, another the strain isolated in Cajamarca (LP4) and the third would include the three strains from the department of La Libertad (LP1, LP2, and LP3), these latter three isolates being phylogenetically closer to the reference strain L. (L.) donovani. Meanwhile, the three isolates from Mexico form a group with close phylogenetic relationships to each other. The isolate from Spain belongs to the species L. (L.) infantum. Thus, a close correlation was drawn between the identity of each strain and its geographical origin.

  18. The mitochondrial SIR2 related protein 2 (SIR2RP2 impacts Leishmania donovani growth and infectivity.

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    Nimisha Mittal

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Leishmania donovani, a protozoan parasite is the major causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis. Increased toxicity and resistance to the existing repertoire of drugs has been reported. Hence, an urgent need exists for identifying newer drugs and drug targets. Previous reports have shown sirtuins (Silent Information Regulator from kinetoplastids as promising drug targets. Leishmania species code for three SIR2 (Silent Information Regulator related proteins. Here, we for the first time report the functional characterization of SIR2 related protein 2 (SIR2RP2 of L. donovani.Recombinant L. donovani SIR2RP2 was expressed in E. coli and purified. The enzymatic functions of SIR2RP2 were determined. The subcellular localization of LdSIR2RP2 was done by constructing C-terminal GFP-tagged full-length LdSIR2RP2. Deletion mutants of LdSIR2RP2 were generated in Leishmania by double targeted gene replacement methodology. These null mutants were tested for their proliferation, virulence, cell cycle defects, mitochondrial functioning and sensitivity to known SIR2 inhibitors.Our data suggests that LdSIR2RP2 possesses NAD+-dependent ADP-ribosyltransferase activity. However, NAD+-dependent deacetylase and desuccinylase activities were not detected. The protein localises to the mitochondrion of the promastigotes. Gene deletion studies showed that ΔLdSIR2RP2 null mutants had restrictive growth phenotype associated with accumulation of cells in the G2/M phase and compromised mitochondrial functioning. The null mutants had attenuated infectivity. Deletion of LdSIR2RP2 resulted in increased sensitivity of the parasites to the known SIR2 inhibitors. The sirtuin inhibitors inhibited the ADP-ribosyltransferase activity of recombinant LdSIR2RP2. In conclusion, sirtuins could be used as potential new drug targets for visceral leishmaniasis.

  19. Differential Impact of LPG-and PG-Deficient Leishmania major Mutants on the Immune Response of Human Dendritic Cells.

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    Michelle A Favila

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Leishmania major infection induces robust interleukin-12 (IL12 production in human dendritic cells (hDC, ultimately resulting in Th1-mediated immunity and clinical resolution. The surface of Leishmania parasites is covered in a dense glycocalyx consisting of primarily lipophosphoglycan (LPG and other phosphoglycan-containing molecules (PGs, making these glycoconjugates the likely pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPS responsible for IL12 induction.Here we explored the role of parasite glycoconjugates on the hDC IL12 response by generating L. major Friedlin V1 mutants defective in LPG alone, (FV1 lpg1-, or generally deficient for all PGs, (FV1 lpg2-. Infection with metacyclic, infective stage, L. major or purified LPG induced high levels of IL12B subunit gene transcripts in hDCs, which was abrogated with FV1 lpg1- infections. In contrast, hDC infections with FV1 lpg2- displayed increased IL12B expression, suggesting other PG-related/LPG2 dependent molecules may act to dampen the immune response. Global transcriptional profiling comparing WT, FV1 lpg1-, FV1 lpg2- infections revealed that FV1 lpg1- mutants entered hDCs in a silent fashion as indicated by repression of gene expression. Transcription factor binding site analysis suggests that LPG recognition by hDCs induces IL-12 in a signaling cascade resulting in Nuclear Factor κ B (NFκB and Interferon Regulatory Factor (IRF mediated transcription.These data suggest that L. major LPG is a major PAMP recognized by hDC to induce IL12-mediated protective immunity and that there is a complex interplay between PG-baring Leishmania surface glycoconjugates that result in modulation of host cellular IL12.

  20. Skin-resident memory CD4+ T cells enhance protection against Leishmania major infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glennie, Nelson D; Yeramilli, Venkata A; Beiting, Daniel P; Volk, Susan W; Weaver, Casey T; Scott, Phillip

    2015-08-24

    Leishmaniasis causes a significant disease burden worldwide. Although Leishmania-infected patients become refractory to reinfection after disease resolution, effective immune protection has not yet been achieved by human vaccines. Although circulating Leishmania-specific T cells are known to play a critical role in immunity, the role of memory T cells present in peripheral tissues has not been explored. Here, we identify a population of skin-resident Leishmania-specific memory CD4+ T cells. These cells produce IFN-γ and remain resident in the skin when transplanted by skin graft onto naive mice. They function to recruit circulating T cells to the skin in a CXCR3-dependent manner, resulting in better control of the parasites. Our findings are the first to demonstrate that CD4+ TRM cells form in response to a parasitic infection, and indicate that optimal protective immunity to Leishmania, and thus the success of a vaccine, may depend on generating both circulating and skin-resident memory T cells. © 2015 Glennie et al.

  1. Antileishmanial activity of some plants growing in Algeria: Juglans ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The current study was undertaken to evaluate in vitro the antileishmanial activity of three plants growing wild in Algeria : Juglans regia, Lawsonia inermis and Salvia officinalis. The hydroalcoholic extracts of these plants were tested on the growth of the promastigotes of Leishmania major. The plant extract effects were ...

  2. Leishmania major Infection Activates NF-κB and Interferon Regulatory Factors 1 and 8 in Human Dendritic Cells▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jayakumar, Asha; Donovan, Michael J.; Tripathi, Vinita; Ramalho-Ortigao, Marcelo; McDowell, Mary Ann

    2008-01-01

    The salient feature of dendritic cells (DC) is the initiation of appropriate adaptive immune responses by discriminating between pathogens. Using a prototypic model of intracellular infection, we previously showed that Leishmania major parasites prime human DC for efficient interleukin-12 (IL-12) secretion. L. major infection is associated with self-limiting cutaneous disease and powerful immunity. In stark contrast, the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis, Leishmania donovani, does not prime human DC for IL-12 production. Here, we report that DC priming by L. major infection results in the early activation of NF-κB transcription factors and the up-regulation and nuclear translocation of interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF-1) and IRF-8. The inhibition of NF-κB activation by the pretreatment of DC with caffeic acid phenethyl ester blocks L. major-induced IRF-1 and IRF-8 activation and IL-12 expression. We further demonstrate that IRF-1 and IRF-8 obtained from L. major-infected human DC specifically bind to their consensus binding sites on the IL-12p35 promoter, indicating that L. major infection either directly stimulates a signaling cascade or induces an autocrine pathway that activates IRF-1 and IRF-8, ultimately resulting in IL-12 transcription. PMID:18316378

  3. Infective stages of Leishmania in the sandfly vector and some observations on the mechanism of transmission Formas infectante de Leishmania no vetor flebotomíneo e algumas observações sobre o mecanismo de transmissão

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ralph Lainson

    1987-09-01

    Full Text Available Infective stages of Leishmania (Leishmania amazonensis, capable of producing amastigote infections in hamster skin, were shown to be present in the experimentally infected sandfly vector Lutzomyia flaviscutellata 15, 25, 40, 49, 70, 96 and 120 hours after the flies had received their infective blood-meal. Similarly, infective stages of Leishmania (L. chagasi were demonstrated in the experimentally infected vector Lu. longipalpis examined 38, 50, 63, 87, 110, 135, 171 and 221 hours following the infective blood-meal, by the intraperitoneal inoculation of the flagellates into hamsters. The question of whether or not transmission by the bite of the sandfly is dependent on the presence of [quot ]metacyclic[quot ] promastigotes in the mouthparts of the vector is discussed.Foi demonstrado através de infecção experimental, que estágios infectivos de Leishmania (L. amazonensis, capazes de produzir infecção na pele do hamster, encontram-se presentes no vetor flebotomíneo Lutzomyia flaviscutellata 15, 25, 40, 49, 70, 96 e 120 horas após o inseto ter recebido sua refeição sangüínea infectiva. Da mesma maneira, foi comprovada a presença de estágios infectivos de L. (L. chagasi em exemplares do vetor Lu. longipalpis, examinados 38, 50, 63, 87, 110, 135, 171 e 221 horas após o repasto sangüíneo infectivo - através da inoculação em hamster por via intraperitoneal dos flagelados obtidos desses fle botomíneos. A questão sobre a transmissão do gênero Leishmania pelo flebotomíneo ser ou não dependente da presença de promastigotos "metacíclios" na proboscis do vetor, é discutida.

  4. Transcriptionally Driven DNA Replication Program of the Human Parasite Leishmania major.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lombraña, Rodrigo; Álvarez, Alba; Fernández-Justel, José Miguel; Almeida, Ricardo; Poza-Carrión, César; Gomes, Fábia; Calzada, Arturo; Requena, José María; Gómez, María

    2016-08-09

    Faithful inheritance of eukaryotic genomes requires the orchestrated activation of multiple DNA replication origins (ORIs). Although origin firing is mechanistically conserved, how origins are specified and selected for activation varies across different model systems. Here, we provide a complete analysis of the nucleosomal landscape and replication program of the human parasite Leishmania major, building on a better evolutionary understanding of replication organization in Eukarya. We found that active transcription is a driving force for the nucleosomal organization of the L. major genome and that both the spatial and the temporal program of DNA replication can be explained as associated to RNA polymerase kinetics. This simple scenario likely provides flexibility and robustness to deal with the environmental changes that impose alterations in the genetic programs during parasitic life cycle stages. Our findings also suggest that coupling replication initiation to transcription elongation could be an ancient solution used by eukaryotic cells for origin maintenance. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Transcriptionally Driven DNA Replication Program of the Human Parasite Leishmania major

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodrigo Lombraña

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Faithful inheritance of eukaryotic genomes requires the orchestrated activation of multiple DNA replication origins (ORIs. Although origin firing is mechanistically conserved, how origins are specified and selected for activation varies across different model systems. Here, we provide a complete analysis of the nucleosomal landscape and replication program of the human parasite Leishmania major, building on a better evolutionary understanding of replication organization in Eukarya. We found that active transcription is a driving force for the nucleosomal organization of the L. major genome and that both the spatial and the temporal program of DNA replication can be explained as associated to RNA polymerase kinetics. This simple scenario likely provides flexibility and robustness to deal with the environmental changes that impose alterations in the genetic programs during parasitic life cycle stages. Our findings also suggest that coupling replication initiation to transcription elongation could be an ancient solution used by eukaryotic cells for origin maintenance.

  6. Metabolomic Analyses of Leishmania Reveal Multiple Species Differences and Large Differences in Amino Acid Metabolism.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gareth D Westrop

    Full Text Available Comparative genomic analyses of Leishmania species have revealed relatively minor heterogeneity amongst recognised housekeeping genes and yet the species cause distinct infections and pathogenesis in their mammalian hosts. To gain greater information on the biochemical variation between species, and insights into possible metabolic mechanisms underpinning visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis, we have undertaken in this study a comparative analysis of the metabolomes of promastigotes of L. donovani, L. major and L. mexicana. The analysis revealed 64 metabolites with confirmed identity differing 3-fold or more between the cell extracts of species, with 161 putatively identified metabolites differing similarly. Analysis of the media from cultures revealed an at least 3-fold difference in use or excretion of 43 metabolites of confirmed identity and 87 putatively identified metabolites that differed to a similar extent. Strikingly large differences were detected in their extent of amino acid use and metabolism, especially for tryptophan, aspartate, arginine and proline. Major pathways of tryptophan and arginine catabolism were shown to be to indole-3-lactate and arginic acid, respectively, which were excreted. The data presented provide clear evidence on the value of global metabolomic analyses in detecting species-specific metabolic features, thus application of this technology should be a major contributor to gaining greater understanding of how pathogens are adapted to infecting their hosts.

  7. Different genetic control of cutaneous and visceral disease after Leishmania major infection in mice

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Vladimirov, Vladimir; Badalová, Jana; Svobodová, M.; Havelková, Helena; Hart, A. A. M.; Blažková, Hana; Demant, P.; Lipoldová, Marie

    2003-01-01

    Roč. 71, č. 4 (2003), s. 2041-2046 ISSN 0019-9567 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA310/00/0760; GA ČR GA310/03/1381; GA MŠk OK 394 Grant - others:Howard Hughes Medical Institute(US) HHMI55000323; EC(XE) ERBI-C15-CT98-0317; EC(XE) BIO-4-CT98-0445 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5052915 Keywords : genetic control * Leishmania major Subject RIV: EC - Immunology Impact factor: 3.875, year: 2003

  8. Production, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of the nucleoside diphosphate kinase b from Leishmania major

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tonoli, Celisa Caldana Costa; Vieira, Plinio Salmazo; Ward, Richard John; Arni, Raghuvir Krishnaswamy; Oliveira, Arthur Henrique Cavalcante de; Murakami, Mario Tyago

    2009-01-01

    Overexpression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of the nucleoside diphosphate kinase b from Leishmania major are reported. The crystals belonged to the trigonal space group P3 2 21 and diffracted to 2.18 Å resolution. Nucleoside diphosphate kinases (NDKs; EC 2.7.4.6) play an essential role in the synthesis of nucleotides from intermediates in the salvage pathway in all parasitic trypanosomatids and their structural studies will be instrumental in shedding light on the biochemical machinery involved in the parasite life cycle and host–parasite interactions. In this work, NDKb from Leishmania major was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified to homogeneity and crystallized using the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method. The NDK crystal diffracted to 2.2 Å resolution and belonged to the trigonal crystal system, with unit-cell parameters a = 114.2, c = 93.9 Å. Translation-function calculations yielded an unambiguous solution in the enantiomorphic space group P3 2 21

  9. Natural hybrid of Leishmania infantum/L. donovani: development in Phlebotomus tobbi, P. perniciosus and Lutzomyia longipalpis and comparison with non-hybrid strains differing in tissue tropism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seblova, Veronika; Myskova, Jitka; Hlavacova, Jana; Votypka, Jan; Antoniou, Maria; Volf, Petr

    2015-11-25

    Infection caused by parasites from L. donovani complex can manifest as a serious visceral disease or a self-healing milder cutaneous form. The different tropism and pathology in humans is caused by the interaction between parasites, host and vector determinants but the mechanisms are not well understood. In Cukurova region in Turkey we previously identified a major focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by L. donovani/infantum hybrids (CUK strain) and isolated this parasite from the locally abundant sand fly, Phlebotomus tobbi. Here, we present the first experimental study with P. tobbi. We tested the susceptibility of this species to various Leishmania under laboratory conditions, characterized glycoproteins in the P. tobbi midgut putatively involved in parasite-vector interaction and compared the development of the CUK strain in the sand fly with one other dermotropic and three viscerotropic strains belonging to the L. donovani complex. Females of laboratory reared P. tobbi, P. perniciosus and Lutzomyia longipalpis were infected using membrane feeding on rabbit blood containing promastigotes of various Leishmania species with different tropisms. The individual guts were checked microscopically for presence and localization of Leishmania parasites; the number of parasites was assessed more precisely by qPCR. In addition, glycosylation of midgut proteins of P. tobbi was studied by lectin blotting of midgut lysate with lectins specific for terminal sugars of N-type and O-type glycans. High infection rates, heavy parasite loads and late-stage infection with colonization of the stomodeal valve were observed in P. tobbi infected by Leishmania major or L. infantum CUK hybrid. In parallel, lectin blotting revealed the presence of O-glycosylated proteins in the P. tobbi midgut. In P. perniciosus and L. longipalpis all five Leishmania strains tested developed well. In both vectors, significantly higher parasite numbers were detected by qPCR for dermotropic L. donovani

  10. Murine immune response induced by Leishmania major during the implantation of paraffin tablets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reis, Maria Letícia Costa; Ferreira, Vanessa Martins; Zhang, Xia; Gonçalves, Ricardo; Vieira, Leda Quércia; Tafuri, Washington Luiz; Mosser, David M; Tafuri, Wagner Luiz

    2010-11-01

    We carried out a model of chronic inflammation using a subcutaneous paraffin tablet in mice experimentally infected with Leishmania major. It was previously reported that the parasite load following paraffin implantation occurred at a peak of 21 days in both BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice. At the present study, we have investigated what cytokines and chemokines are directly related to the parasite load in C57BL/6 mice. All mice were divided in four groups: mice implanted with paraffin tablets; mice experimentally infected with L. major; mice implanted with paraffin tablets and experimentally infected with L. major; and mice submitted only to the surgery were used for the Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) controls. Fragments of skin tissue and the tissue surrounding the paraffin tablets (inflammatory capsule) were collected for histopathology and RT-PCR studies. By 21 days, a diffuse chronic inflammatory reaction was mainly observed in the deep dermis where macrophages parasitized with Leishmania amastigotes were also found. RT-PCR analysis has shown that BALB/c mice showed strong IL-4 and IL-10 mRNA expression than controls with very little expression of IFN-γ. In contrast, both IFN-γ and IL-10 mRNA was found in higher levels in C57BL/6 animals. Moreover, in C57BL/6 mice the expression of chemokines mRNA of CCL3/MIP-1α was more highly expressed than CCL2/MCP-1. We conclude that the Th1 immune response C57BL/6 did not change to a Th2 response, even though C57BL/6 animals presented higher parasitism than BALB/c mice 21 days after infection and paraffin implantation.

  11. Anti-HIV drugs, lopinavir/ritonavir and atazanavir, modulate innate immune response triggered by Leishmania in macrophages: the role of NF-κB and PPAR-γ.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alves, Érica Alessandra Rocha; de Miranda, Marthina Gomes; Borges, Tatiana Karla; Magalhães, Kelly Grace; Muniz-Junqueira, Maria Imaculada

    2015-02-01

    This study evaluated the influence of HIV protease inhibitors lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/RTV) and atazanavir (ATV) on macrophage functions during their first interaction with Leishmania. Macrophages from BALB/c mice treated for 10days with LPV/RTV and ATV, infected or not in vitro with L. (L.) amazonensis, were used to investigate the effects of these drugs on infection index, leishmanicidal capacity, cytokine production and PPAR-γ and RelB expression. LPV/RTV and ATV treatments significantly increased the infection index and the percentage of Leishmania-infected macrophages compared to untreated infected macrophages. There was no correlated increase in the production of NO and H2O2 leishmanicidal molecules. Promastigotes derived from Leishmania-infected macrophages from LPV/RTV and ATV-treated BALB/c mice had an in vitro growth 45.1% and 56.4% higher in groups treated with LPV/RTV and ATV than with PBS in culture. ATV treatment reduced IL-12p70 and IL-10 secretion in Leishmania-infected macrophages, but had no effect on IL-23 and TNF production. LPV reduced IL-10 and had no effect on IL-12p70, TNF and IL-23 secretion. ATV treatment decreased PPAR-γ expression in Leishmania-infected macrophages compared to untreated infected macrophages. In addition, LPV/RTV, but not ATV, reduced RelB cytoplasm-to-nucleus translocation in Leishmania-infected macrophages. Results showed that LPV/RTV and ATV HIV protease inhibitors were able to modulate innate defense mechanisms against Leishmania via different intracellular pathways. Although HIV protease inhibitors are highly efficient to control the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, these drugs might also influence the course of leishmaniasis in HIV-Leishmania-co-infected individuals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Selective Effect of 2′,6′-Dihydroxy-4′-Methoxychalcone Isolated from Piper aduncum on Leishmania amazonensis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torres-Santos, Eduardo Caio; Moreira, Davyson Lima; Kaplan, Maria Auxiliadora C.; Meirelles, Maria Nazareth; Rossi-Bergmann, Bartira

    1999-01-01

    2′,6′-Dihydroxy-4′-methoxychalcone (DMC) was purified from the dichloromethane extract of Piper aduncum inflorescences. DMC showed significant activity in vitro against promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis, with 50% effective doses of 0.5 and 24 μg/ml, respectively. Its inhibitory effect on amastigotes is apparently a direct effect on the parasites and is not due to activation of the nitrogen oxidative metabolism of macrophages, since the production of nitric oxide by both unstimulated and recombinant gamma interferon-stimulated macrophages was decreased rather than increased with DMC. The phagocytic activity of macrophages was functioning normally even with DMC concentrations as high as 80 μg/ml, as seen by electron microscopy and by the uptake of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled beads. Ultrastructural studies also showed that in the presence of DMC the mitochondria of promastigotes were enlarged and disorganized. Despite destruction of intracellular amastigotes, no disarrangement of macrophage organelles were observed, even at 80 μg of DMC/ml. These observations suggest that DMC is selectively toxic to the parasites. Its simple structure may well enable it to serve as a new lead compound for the synthesis of novel antileishmanial drugs. PMID:10223942

  13. Innate Immunity against Leishmania Infections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gurung, Prajwal; Kanneganti, Thirumala-Devi

    2015-01-01

    Leishmaniasis is a major health problem that affects more than 300 million people throughout the world. The morbidity associated with the disease causes serious economic burden in Leishmania endemic regions. Despite the morbidity and economic burden associated with Leishmaniasis, this disease rarely gets noticed and is still categorized under neglected tropical diseases. The lack of research combined with the ability of Leishmania to evade immune recognition has rendered our efforts to design therapeutic treatments or vaccines challenging. Herein, we review the literature on Leishmania from innate immune perspective and discuss potential problems as well as solutions and future directions that could aid in identifying novel therapeutic targets to eliminate this parasite. PMID:26249747

  14. TRANSCRIPTIONAL INHIBITION OF INTERLEUKIN-12 PROMOTER ACTIVITY IN LEISHMANIA SPP.-INFECTED MACROPHAGES

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jayakumar, Asha; Widenmaier, Robyn; Ma, Xiaojing; McDowell, Mary Ann

    2009-01-01

    To establish and persist within a host, Leishmania spp. parasites delay the onset of cell-mediated immunity by suppressing interleukin-12 (IL-12) production from host macrophages. Although it is established that Leishmania spp.-infected macrophages have impaired IL-12 production, the mechanisms that account for this suppression remain to be completely elucidated. Using a luciferase reporter assay assessing IL-12 transcription, we report here that Leishmania major, Leishmania donovani, and Leishmania chagasi inhibit IL-12 transcription in response to interferon-gamma, lipopolysaccharide, and CD40 ligand and that Leishmania spp. lipophosphoglycan, phosphoglycans, and major surface protein are not necessary for inhibition. In addition, all the Leishmania spp. strains and life-cycle stages tested inhibited IL-12 promoter activity. Our data further reveal that autocrine-acting host factors play no role in the inhibitory response and that phagocytosis signaling is necessary for inhibition of IL-12. PMID:18372625

  15. Lower galactosylation levels of the Lipophosphoglycan from Leishmania (Leishmania major-like strains affect interaction with Phlebotomus papatasi and Lutzomyia longipalpis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agna Cristina Guimarães

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND Leishmania major is an Old World species causing cutaneous leishmaniasis and is transmitted by Phlebotomus papatasi and Phlebotomus duboscqi. In Brazil, two isolates from patients who never left the country were characterised as L. major-like (BH49 and BH121. Using molecular techniques, these isolates were indistinguishable from the L. major reference strain (FV1. OBJECTIVES We evaluated the lipophosphoglycans (LPGs of the strains and their behaviour in Old and New World sand fly vectors. METHODS LPGs were purified, and repeat units were qualitatively evaluated by immunoblotting. Experimental in vivo infection with L. major-like strains was performed in Lutzomyia longipalpis (New World, permissive vector and Ph. papatasi (Old World, restrictive or specific vector. FINDINGS The LPGs of both strains were devoid of arabinosylated side chains, whereas the LPG of strain BH49 was more galactosylated than that of strain BH121. All strains with different levels of galactosylation in their LPGs were able to infect both vectors, exhibiting colonisation of the stomodeal valve and metacyclogenesis. The BH121 strain (less galactosylated exhibited lower infection intensity compared to BH49 and FV1 in both vectors. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Intraspecific variation in the LPG of L. major-like strains occur, and the different galactosylation levels affected interactions with the invertebrate host.

  16. Lower galactosylation levels of the Lipophosphoglycan from Leishmania (Leishmania) major-like strains affect interaction with Phlebotomus papatasi and Lutzomyia longipalpis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guimarães, Agna Cristina; Nogueira, Paula Monalisa; Silva, Soraia de Oliveira; Sadlova, Jovana; Pruzinova, Katerina; Hlavacova, Jana; Melo, Maria Norma; Soares, Rodrigo Pedro

    2018-01-01

    BACKGROUND Leishmania major is an Old World species causing cutaneous leishmaniasis and is transmitted by Phlebotomus papatasi and Phlebotomus duboscqi. In Brazil, two isolates from patients who never left the country were characterised as L. major-like (BH49 and BH121). Using molecular techniques, these isolates were indistinguishable from the L. major reference strain (FV1). OBJECTIVES We evaluated the lipophosphoglycans (LPGs) of the strains and their behaviour in Old and New World sand fly vectors. METHODS LPGs were purified, and repeat units were qualitatively evaluated by immunoblotting. Experimental in vivo infection with L. major-like strains was performed in Lutzomyia longipalpis (New World, permissive vector) and Ph. papatasi (Old World, restrictive or specific vector). FINDINGS The LPGs of both strains were devoid of arabinosylated side chains, whereas the LPG of strain BH49 was more galactosylated than that of strain BH121. All strains with different levels of galactosylation in their LPGs were able to infect both vectors, exhibiting colonisation of the stomodeal valve and metacyclogenesis. The BH121 strain (less galactosylated) exhibited lower infection intensity compared to BH49 and FV1 in both vectors. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Intraspecific variation in the LPG of L. major-like strains occur, and the different galactosylation levels affected interactions with the invertebrate host.

  17. The Gut Microbiome of the Vector Lutzomyia longipalpis Is Essential for Survival of Leishmania infantum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, Patrick H; Bahr, Sarah M; Serafim, Tiago D; Ajami, Nadim J; Petrosino, Joseph F; Meneses, Claudio; Kirby, John R; Valenzuela, Jesus G; Kamhawi, Shaden; Wilson, Mary E

    2017-01-17

    The vector-borne disease leishmaniasis, caused by Leishmania species protozoa, is transmitted to humans by phlebotomine sand flies. Development of Leishmania to infective metacyclic promastigotes in the insect gut, a process termed metacyclogenesis, is an essential prerequisite for transmission. Based on the hypothesis that vector gut microbiota influence the development of virulent parasites, we sequenced midgut microbiomes in the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis with or without Leishmania infantum infection. Sucrose-fed sand flies contained a highly diverse, stable midgut microbiome. Blood feeding caused a decrease in microbial richness that eventually recovered. However, bacterial richness progressively decreased in L. infantum-infected sand flies. Acetobacteraceae spp. became dominant and numbers of Pseudomonadaceae spp. diminished coordinately as the parasite underwent metacyclogenesis and parasite numbers increased. Importantly, antibiotic-mediated perturbation of the midgut microbiome rendered sand flies unable to support parasite growth and metacyclogenesis. Together, these data suggest that the sand fly midgut microbiome is a critical factor for Leishmania growth and differentiation to its infective state prior to disease transmission. Leishmania infantum, a parasitic protozoan causing fatal visceral leishmaniasis, is transmitted to humans through the bite of the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis Development of the parasite to its virulent metacyclic state occurs in the sand fly gut. In this study, the microbiota within the Lu. longipalpis midgut was delineated by 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequencing, revealing a highly diverse community composition that lost diversity as parasites developed to their metacyclic state and increased in abundance in infected flies. Perturbing sand fly gut microbiota with an antibiotic cocktail, which alone had no effect on either the parasite or the fly, arrested both the development of virulent parasites and parasite expansion

  18. Generation of adenosine tri-phosphate in Leishmania donovani amastigote forms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mondal, Subhasish; Roy, Jay Jyoti; Bera, Tanmoy

    2014-03-01

    Leishmania, the causative agent of various forms of leishmaniasis, is the significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Regarding energy metabolism, which is an essential factor for the survival, parasites adapt to the environment under low oxygen tension in the host using metabolic systems which are very different from that of the host mammals. We carried out the study of susceptibilities to different inhibitors of mitochondrial electron transport chain and studies on substrate level phosphorylation in wild-type L. donovani. The amastigote forms of L. donovani are independent on oxidative phosphorylation for ATP production. Indeed, its cell growth was not inhibited by excess oligomycin and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, which are the most specific inhibitors of the mitochondrial Fo/F1-ATP synthase. In contrast, mitochondrial complex I inhibitor rotenone and complex III inhibitor antimycin A inhibited amastigote cell growth, suggesting the role of complex I and complex III in cell survival. Complex II appeared to have no role in cell survival. To further investigate the site of ATP production, we studied the substrate level phosphorylation, which was involved in the synthesis of ATP. Succinate-pyruvate couple showed the highest substrate level phosphorylation in amastigotes whereas NADH-fumarate and NADH-pyruvate couples failed to produce ATP. In contrast, NADPH-fumarate showed the highest rate of ATP formation in promastigotes. Therefore, we can conclude that substrate level phosphorylation is essential for the survival of amastigote forms of Leishmania donovani.

  19. Leishmania major methionine sulfoxide reductase A is required for resistance to oxidative stress and efficient replication in macrophages.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fiona M Sansom

    Full Text Available Leishmania are protozoan parasites that proliferate within the phagolysome of mammalian macrophages. While a number of anti-oxidant systems in these parasites have been shown to protect against endogenous as well as host-generated reactive oxygen species, the potential role of enzymes involved in the repair of oxidatively damaged proteins remains uncharacterized. The Leishmania spp genomes encode a single putative methionine sulfoxide reductase (MsrA that could have a role in reducing oxidized free and proteinogenic methionine residues. A GFP-fusion of L. major MsrA was shown to have a cytoplasmic localization by immunofluorescence microscopy and subcellular fractionation. An L. major msrA null mutant, generated by targeted replacement of both chromosomal allelles, was viable in rich medium but was unable to reduce exogenous methionine sulfoxide when cultivated in the presence of this amino acid, indicating that msrA encodes a functional MsrA. The ΔmsrA mutant exhibited increased sensitivity to H(2O(2 compared to wild type parasites and was unable to proliferate normally in macrophages. Wild type sensitivity to H(2O(2 and infectivity in macrophages was restored by complementation of the mutant with a plasmid encoding MsrA. Unexpectedly, the ΔmsrA mutant was able to induce normal lesions in susceptible BALB/c indicating that this protein is not essential for pathogenesis in vivo. Our results suggest that Leishmania MsrA contributes to the anti-oxidative defences of these parasites, but that complementary oxidative defence mechansims are up-regulated in lesion amastigotes.

  20. Antileishmanial compounds from Cordia fragrantissima collected in Burma (Myanmar).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mori, Kanami; Kawano, Marii; Fuchino, Hiroyuki; Ooi, Takashi; Satake, Motoyoshi; Agatsuma, Yutaka; Kusumi, Takenori; Sekita, Setsuko

    2008-01-01

    A methanol extract of the wood of Cordia fragrantissima, collected in Burma (Myanmar), was found to exhibit significant activity against Leishmania major. Bioassay-guided fractionation of this extract using several chromatographic techniques afforded three new compounds (1-3) and five known compounds (4-8). The structures of the new compounds were revealed on the basis of spectroscopic data interpretation and by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Interestingly, the new compounds, despite the presence of asymmetric carbons, were found to be racemates. The activities of the isolates from C. fragrantissima and several derivatives were evaluated against the promastigote forms of Leishmania major, L. panamensis, and L. guyanensis.

  1. Cytotoxicity and anti-Leishmania amazonensis activity of Citrus sinensis leaf extracts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia, Andreza R; Amaral, Ana Claudia F; Azevedo, Mariana M B; Corte-Real, Suzana; Lopes, Rosana C; Alviano, Celuta S; Pinheiro, Anderson S; Vermelho, Alane B; Rodrigues, Igor A

    2017-12-01

    Leishmania amazonensis is the main agent of diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis, a disease characterized by lesional polymorphism and the commitment of skin surface. Previous reports demonstrated that the Citrus genus possess antimicrobial activity. This study evaluated the anti-L. amazonensis activity of Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck (Rutaceae) extracts. Citrus sinensis dried leaves were subjected to maceration with hexane (CH), ethyl acetate (CEA), dichloromethane/ethanol (CD/Et - 1:1) or ethanol/water (CEt/W - 7:3). Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes were treated with C. sinensis extracts (1-525 μg/mL) for 120 h at 27 °C. Ultrastructure alterations of treated parasites were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy. Cytotoxicity of the extracts was assessed on RAW 264.7 and J774.G8 macrophages after 48-h treatment at 37 °C using the tetrazolium assay. In addition, Leishmania-infected macrophages were treated with CH and CD/Et (10-80 μg/mL). CH, CD/Et and CEA displayed antileishmanial activity with 50% inhibitory activity (IC 50 ) of 25.91 ± 4.87, 54.23 ± 3.78 and 62.74 ± 5.04 μg/mL, respectively. Parasites treated with CD/Et (131.2 μg/mL) presented severe alterations including mitochondrial swelling, lipid body formation and intense cytoplasmic vacuolization. CH and CD/Et demonstrated cytotoxic effects similar to that of amphotericin B in the anti-amastigote assays (SI of 2.16, 1.98 and 1.35, respectively). Triterpene amyrins were the main substances in CH and CD/Et extracts. In addition, 80 μg/mL of CD/Et reduced the number of intracellular amastigotes and the percentage of infected macrophages in 63% and 36%, respectively. The results presented here highlight C. sinensis as a promising source of antileishmanial agents.

  2. Eupomatenoid-5 Isolated from Leaves of Piper regnellii Induces Apoptosis in Leishmania amazonensis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francielle Pelegrin Garcia

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Leishmania spp. are protozoa responsible for leishmaniasis, a neglected disease that kills up to 50,000 people every year. Current therapies mainly rely on antimonial drugs that are inadequate because of their poor efficacy and safety and increased drug resistance. An urgent need exists to find new and more affordable drugs. Our previous study demonstrated the antileishmanial activity of eupomatenoid-5, a neolignan obtained from leaves of Piper regnellii var. pallescens. The aim of the present study was to clarify the mode of action of eupomatenoid-5 against L. amazonensis. We used biochemical and morphological techniques and demonstrated that eupomatenoid-5 induced cell death in L. amazonensis promastigotes, sharing some phenotypic features observed in metazoan apoptosis, including increased reactive oxygen species production, hypopolarization of mitochondrial potential, phosphatidylserine exposure, decreased cell volume, and G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest.

  3. Genomic and transcriptomic alterations in Leishmania donovani lines experimentally resistant to antileishmanial drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rastrojo, Alberto; García-Hernández, Raquel; Vargas, Paola; Camacho, Esther; Corvo, Laura; Imamura, Hideo; Dujardin, Jean-Claude; Castanys, Santiago; Aguado, Begoña; Gamarro, Francisco; Requena, Jose M

    2018-04-13

    Leishmaniasis is a serious medical issue in many countries around the World, but it remains largely neglected in terms of research investment for developing new control and treatment measures. No vaccines exist for human use, and the chemotherapeutic agents currently used are scanty. Furthermore, for some drugs, resistance and treatment failure are increasing to alarming levels. The aim of this work was to identify genomic and trancriptomic alterations associated with experimental resistance against the common drugs used against VL: trivalent antimony (Sb III , S line), amphotericin B (AmB, A line), miltefosine (MIL, M line) and paromomycin (PMM, P line). A total of 1006 differentially expressed transcripts were identified in the S line, 379 in the A line, 146 in the M line, and 129 in the P line. Also, changes in ploidy of chromosomes and amplification/deletion of particular regions were observed in the resistant lines regarding the parental one. A series of genes were identified as possible drivers of the resistance phenotype and were validated in both promastigotes and amastigotes from Leishmania donovani, Leishmania infantum and Leishmania major species. Remarkably, a deletion of the gene LinJ.36.2510 (coding for 24-sterol methyltransferase, SMT) was found to be associated with AmB-resistance in the A line. In the P line, a dramatic overexpression of the transcripts LinJ.27.T1940 and LinJ.27.T1950 that results from a massive amplification of the collinear genes was suggested as one of the mechanisms of PMM resistance. This conclusion was reinforced after transfection experiments in which significant PMM-resistance was generated in WT parasites over-expressing either gene LinJ.27.1940 (coding for a D-lactate dehydrogenase-like protein, D-LDH) or gene LinJ.27.1950 (coding for an aminotransferase of branched-chain amino acids, BCAT). This work allowed to identify new drivers, like SMT, the deletion of which being associated with resistance to AmB, and the tandem D

  4. Innate Immunity to Leishmania Infection: Within Phagocytes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcela Freitas Lopes

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Infection by Leishmania takes place in the context of inflammation and tissue repair. Besides tissue resident macrophages, inflammatory macrophages and neutrophils are recruited to the infection site and serve both as host cells and as effectors against infection. Recent studies suggest additional important roles for monocytes and dendritic cells. This paper addresses recent experimental findings regarding the regulation of Leishmania major infection by these major phagocyte populations. In addition, the role of IL-4 on dendritic cells and monocytes is discussed.

  5. Antimony susceptibility of Leishmania isolates collected over a 30-year period in Algeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eddaikra, Naouel; Ait-Oudhia, Khatima; Kherrachi, Ihcen; Oury, Bruno; Moulti-Mati, Farida; Benikhlef, Razika; Harrat, Zoubir; Sereno, Denis

    2018-03-01

    In Algeria, the treatment of visceral and cutaneous leishmanioses (VL and CL) has been and continues to be based on antimony-containing drugs. It is suspected that high drug selective pressure might favor the emergence of chemoresistant parasites. Although treatment failure is frequently reported during antimonial therapy of both CL and VL, antimonial resistance has never been thoroughly investigated in Algeria. Determining the level of antimonial susceptibility, amongst Leishmania transmitted in Algeria, is of great importance for the development of public health policies. Within the framework of the knowledge about the epidemiology of VL and CL amassed during the last 30 years, we sampled Leishmania isolates to determine their susceptibility to antimony. We analyzed a total of 106 isolates including 88 isolates collected between 1976 and 2013 in Algeria from humans, dogs, rodents, and phlebotomines and 18 collected from dogs in France. All the Algerian isolates were collected in 14 localities where leishmaniasis is endemic. The 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of potassium antimony tartrate (the trivalent form of antimony, Sb(III)) and sodium stibogluconate (the pentavalent form of antimony, Sb(V)) were determined in promastigotes and intramacrophage amastigotes, respectively. The epidemiological cutoff (ECOFF) that allowed us to differentiate between Leishmania species causing cutaneous or visceral leishmaniases that were susceptible (S+) or insusceptible (S-) to the trivalent form of antimony was determined. The computed IC50 cutoff values were 23.83 μg/mL and 15.91 μg/mL for VL and CL, respectively. We report a trend of increasing antimony susceptibility in VL isolates during the 30-year period. In contrast, an increase in the frequency of S- phenotypes in isolates causing CL was observed during the same period. In our study, the emergence of S- phenotypes correlates with the inclusion of L. killicki (syn: L. tropica) isolates that cause cutaneous

  6. The HSP90 inhibitor 17-AAG potentiates the antileishmanial activity of the ether lipid edelfosine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varela-M, Rubén E; Mollinedo-Gajate, Cristina; Muro, Antonio; Mollinedo, Faustino

    2014-03-01

    HSP90 is an abundant protein in Leishmania parasites that plays a major role in the parasite survival under stress conditions. Here we found that the HSP90 inhibitor 17-AAG (≥100nM 17-AAG) induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 in Leishmania infantum and Leishmania panamensis promastigotes, and highly potentiated the induction of cell death by an apoptotic-like process mediated by the ether phospholipid edelfosine (5-20μM). These data suggest that the combined treatment of 17-AAG and edelfosine might be a novel and effective approach of combination therapy in the treatment of leishmaniasis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Structure of Lmaj006129AAA, a hypothetical protein from Leishmania major

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arakaki, Tracy; Le Trong, Isolde; Phizicky, Eric; Quartley, Erin; DeTitta, George; Luft, Joseph; Lauricella, Angela; Anderson, Lori; Kalyuzhniy, Oleksandr; Worthey, Elizabeth; Myler, Peter J.; Kim, David; Baker, David; Hol, Wim G. J.; Merritt, Ethan A.

    2006-01-01

    The crystal structure of a conserved hypothetical protein from L. major, Pfam sequence family PF04543, structural genomics target ID Lmaj006129AAA, has been determined at a resolution of 1.6 Å. The gene product of structural genomics target Lmaj006129 from Leishmania major codes for a 164-residue protein of unknown function. When SeMet expression of the full-length gene product failed, several truncation variants were created with the aid of Ginzu, a domain-prediction method. 11 truncations were selected for expression, purification and crystallization based upon secondary-structure elements and disorder. The structure of one of these variants, Lmaj006129AAH, was solved by multiple-wavelength anomalous diffraction (MAD) using ELVES, an automatic protein crystal structure-determination system. This model was then successfully used as a molecular-replacement probe for the parent full-length target, Lmaj006129AAA. The final structure of Lmaj006129AAA was refined to an R value of 0.185 (R free = 0.229) at 1.60 Å resolution. Structure and sequence comparisons based on Lmaj006129AAA suggest that proteins belonging to Pfam sequence families PF04543 and PF01878 may share a common ligand-binding motif

  8. Natural infection of bats with Leishmania in Ethiopia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kassahun, Aysheshm; Sadlova, Jovana; Benda, Petr; Kostalova, Tatiana; Warburg, Alon; Hailu, Asrat; Baneth, Gad; Volf, Petr; Votypka, Jan

    2015-10-01

    The leishmaniases, a group of diseases with a worldwide-distribution, are caused by different species of Leishmania parasites. Both cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis remain important public health problems in Ethiopia. Epidemiological cycles of these protozoans involve various sand fly (Diptera: Psychodidae) vectors and mammalian hosts, including humans. In recent years, Leishmania infections in bats have been reported in the New World countries endemic to leishmaniasis. The aim of this study was to survey natural Leishmania infection in bats collected from various regions of Ethiopia. Total DNA was isolated from spleens of 163 bats belonging to 23 species and 18 genera. Leishmania infection was detected by real-time (RT) PCR targeting a kinetoplast (k) DNA and internal transcribed spacer one (ITS1) gene of the parasite. Detection was confirmed by sequencing of the PCR products. Leishmania kDNA was detected in eight (4.9%) bats; four of them had been captured in the Aba-Roba and Awash-Methara regions that are endemic for leishmaniasis, while the other four specimens originated from non-endemic localities of Metu, Bedele and Masha. Leishmania isolates from two bats were confirmed by ITS1 PCR to be Leishmania tropica and Leishmania major, isolated from two individual bats, Cardioderma cor and Nycteris hispida, respectively. These results represent the first confirmed observation of natural infection of bats with the Old World Leishmania. Hence, bats should be considered putative hosts of Leishmania spp. affecting humans with a significant role in the transmission. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Leishmanicidal activity of the crude extract, fractions and major piperidine alkaloids from the flowers of Senna spectabilis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Albuquerque Melo, Gabriela Muniz; Silva, Marcela Campelo Rodrigues; Guimarães, Thaís Pereira; Pinheiro, Kátia Mantovani; da Matta, Carolina Barbosa Brito; de Queiroz, Aline Cavalcanti; Pivatto, Marcos; Bolzani, Vanderlan da Silva; Alexandre-Moreira, Magna Suzana; Viegas, Claudio

    2014-02-15

    Senna spectabilis (sin. Cassia excelsa, C. spectabilis) is an endemic tree of South America and Africa, very common in Brazil, where it is known as "canafistula-de-besouro" and "cassia-do-nordeste". In folk medicine, this plant is indicated for the treatment of constipation, insomnia, anxiety, epilepsy, malaria, dysentery and headache. Phytopharmacological studies have also confirmed anticonvulsive, sedative, anti-malarial, antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties of many parts of S. spectabilis. In this communication, we present a comparative study of the leishmanicidal activity of the crude ethanolic extract, its fractions and also the two major alkaloidal metabolites (-)-cassine/(-)-spectaline, trying to establish a relationship between the presence of piperidine alkaloidal constituents and leishmanicidal activity. The growth inhibitory effect of promastigote forms of Leishmania major was determined for the crude extract, fractions of the flowers of S. spectabilis and a mixture of (-)-cassine/(-)-spectaline in comparison to pentamidine used as standard drug. The cytotoxic effects were assessed on macrophage strain J774 by lactate dehydrogenase assay. Fractions dichloromethane (FL-DCM) and n-butanol (FL-Bu) and a mixture of (-)-cassine/(-)-spectaline (∼7:3) exhibited significant activity against the parasite Leishmania major (IC50 values of 0.6±0.1 μg/ml, 1.6±0.9 μg/ml and 24.9±1.4 μg/ml, respectively), without toxic effects on murine macrophages. Due to the promising results elicited, further studies in vivo need to be performed to confirm the therapeutic potential of Senna spectabilis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  10. Emergence of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis due to Leishmania major in a New Focus of Southern Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    AA Akhavan

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Reports from the health center of Kerman Province, southern Iran showed an increasing of cutaneous leishmaniasis cases in Orzuieh Rural District, southwest of the province in 2003. The report encouraged the team to carry out an epidemi¬ological survey in the district during 2003-2004. The objectives were to determine the ecology of sand flies, potential reser¬voir hosts and human infection. A total of 1075 sand flies were collected by sticky traps and 7 species of sand flies were identified. They comprised 3 species of the genus Phlebotomus (P. papatasi, P. mongolensis and P. bergeroti and 4 species of the genus Sergentomyia (S. sintoni, S. clydei, S. tiberiadis and S. baghdadis. P. papatasi was the predominant species of the genus Phlebotomus in indoors (90.3% and outdoors (50.2%. Susceptibility tests on P. papatasi with DDT 4%. Showed that the species was susceptible to this insecticide. A total of 13 rodents consist of Tatera indica (76.9% and Nesokia indica (23.1% were collected. A study of prevalence among 2441 inhabitants in four villages showed a rate of 1.1% for active lesions and 10.4% for scars during November- December 2003. In a separate study examination of 1662 school children aged 6-12 years old showed 1.14% for ulcers and 14.7% for scars at the same time. The Leishmania parasites were isolated from man and characterized as Leishmania major using RAPD-PCR method. It seems that cutaneous leishmaniasis due to L. major (CLM has been prevailed in the district.

  11. Profiling gene expression of antimony response genes in Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis and infected macrophages and its relationship with drug susceptibility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrera, Maria Claudia; Rojas, Laura Jimena; Weiss, Austin; Fernandez, Olga; McMahon-Pratt, Diane; Saravia, Nancy G; Gomez, Maria Adelaida

    2017-12-01

    The mechanisms of Leishmania resistance to antimonials have been primarily determined in experimentally derived Leishmania strains. However, their participation in the susceptibility phenotype in field isolates has not been conclusively established. Being an intracellular parasite, the activity of antileishmanials is dependent on internalization of drugs into host cells and effective delivery to the intracellular compartments inhabited by the parasite. In this study we quantified and comparatively analyzed the gene expression of nine molecules involved in mechanisms of xenobiotic detoxification and Leishmania resistance to antimonial drugs in resistant and susceptible laboratory derived and clinical L.(Viannia) panamensis strains(n=19). In addition, we explored the impact of Leishmania susceptibility to antimonials on the expression of macrophage gene products having putative functions in transport, accumulation and metabolism of antimonials. As previously shown for other Leishmania species, a trend of increased abcc3 and lower aqp-1 expression was observed in the laboratory derived Sb-resistant L.(V.) panamensis line. However, this was not found in clinical strains, in which the expression of abca2 was significantly higher in resistant strains as both, promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes. The effect of drug susceptibility on host cell gene expression was evaluated on primary human macrophages from patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (n=17) infected ex-vivo with the matched L.(V.) panamensis strains isolated at diagnosis, and in THP-1 cells infected with clinical strains (n=6) and laboratory adapted L.(V.) panamensis lines. Four molecules, abcb1 (p-gp), abcb6, aqp-9 and mt2a were differentially modulated by drug resistant and susceptible parasites, and among these, a consistent and significantly increased expression of the xenobiotic scavenging molecule mt2a was observed in macrophages infected with Sb-susceptible L. (V.) panamensis. Our results

  12. IL-17 mediates immunopathology in the absence of IL-10 following Leishmania major infection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudia Gonzalez-Lombana

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Leishmaniasis, resulting from infection with the protozoan parasite Leishmania, consists of a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations, from healing cutaneous lesions to fatal visceral infections. A particularly severe form of cutaneous leishmaniasis, termed mucosal leishmaniasis, exhibits decreased IL-10 levels and an exaggerated inflammatory response that perpetuates the disease. Using a mouse model of leishmaniasis, we investigated what cytokines contribute to increased pathology when IL-10-mediated regulation is absent. Leishmania major infected C57BL/6 mice lacking IL-10 regulation developed larger lesions than controls, but fewer parasites. Both IFN-γ and IL-17 levels were substantially elevated in mice lacking the capacity to respond to IL-10. IFN-γ promoted an increased infiltration of monocytes, while IL-17 contributed to an increase in neutrophils. Surprisingly, however, we found that IFN-γ did not contribute to increased pathology, but instead regulated the IL-17 response. Thus, blocking IFN-γ led to a significant increase in IL-17, neutrophils and disease. Similarly, the production of IL-17 by cells from leishmaniasis patients was also regulated by IL-10 and IFN-γ. Additional studies found that the IL-1 receptor was required for both the IL-17 response and increased pathology. Therefore, we propose that regulating IL-17, possibly by downregulating IL-1β, may be a useful approach for controlling immunopathology in leishmaniasis.

  13. Ensayos metodologicos para la investigacion de reservorios de Leishmania spp en los Andes venezolanos Methodological assay for research of reservoirs of Leishmania spp. in the Venezuelan Andes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Lugo Yarbuh

    1982-12-01

    Full Text Available Se describen dos técnicas, presuntiva y confirmativa, para la investigación de mamíferos que pudieran ser reservorios de Leishmania que parasitan al hombre. Se investigan los cambios en los títulos de inmovilización y aglutinación de promastigotos de cultivo por los sueros de animales normales y expuestos una o varias veces a la inoculación intradérmica de pequeñas dosis de promastigotos vivos. Se registra una caída de los títulos de aglutinación en los sueros de hamsteres, de Holochilus venezuelae y de Didelphis marsupialis después de la inoculación con L. mexicana mexicana de Panamá y de L. gamhami de la región de los Andes venezolanos. Se discute la natureza de estos fenómenos. Se han hecho xenodiagnósticos con Lutzomyia townsendi en Holochilus venezuelae y Sigmodon hispidus infectados experimentalmente com L. mexicana mexicana, L. mexicana amazonensis, L. braziliensis y L. garnhami. Las pruebas fueron leidas mediante el examen microscópico de las gotitas de heces excretadas entre las 108 y 132 horas después de la ingesta infectante, tras colorearlas con Giemsa. Se obtuvieron resultados positivos en 23% de los experimentos usando mamíferos con lesiones localizadas, dejando a los flebótomos ingurgitarse libremente sobre animales anestesiados que poseian una hasta varias lesiones localizadas.Presumptive and confirmative techniques for searching mammals which could be reservoirs for Leishmania parasites from man are described. The changes of immobilising and agglutinating titers for promastigotes from culture by sera from normal and exposed mammals after single or repeated intradermal inoculation of promastigotes are described. A fall in titers of agglunation is observed in sera from hamsters, Holochilus venezuelae and Didelphis marsupialis after inoculation with L. mexicana mexicana from Panama and L. garnhami from the Venezuelan Andes region. The nature of this phenomenon is discussed. Xenodiagnoses were made with

  14. Leishmania major glycosylation mutants require phosphoglycans (lpg2- but not lipophosphoglycan (lpg1- for survival in permissive sand fly vectors.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Svárovská

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Sand fly species able to support the survival of the protozoan parasite Leishmania have been classified as permissive or specific, based upon their ability to support a wide or limited range of strains and/or species. Studies of a limited number of fly/parasite species combinations have implicated parasite surface molecules in this process and here we provide further evidence in support of this proposal. We investigated the role of lipophosphoglycan (LPG and other phosphoglycans (PGs in sand fly survival, using Leishmania major mutants deficient in LPG (lpg1(-, and the phosphoglycan (PG-deficient mutant lpg2(-. The sand fly species used were the permissive species Phlebotomus perniciosus and P. argentipes, and the specific vector P. duboscqi, a species resistant to L. infantum development.The lpg2(- mutants did not survive well in any of the three sand fly species, suggesting that phosphoglycans and/or other LPG2-dependent molecules are required for parasite development. In vitro, all three L. major lines were equally resistant to proteolytic activity of bovine trypsin, suggesting that sand fly-specific hydrolytic proteases or other factors are the reason for the early lpg2(- parasite killing. The lpg1(- mutants developed late-stage infections in two permissive species, P. perniciosus and P. argentipes, where their infection rates and intensities of infections were comparable to the wild type (WT parasites. In contrast, in P. duboscqi the lpg1(- mutants developed significantly worse than the WT parasites.In combination with previous studies, the data establish clearly that LPG is not required for Leishmania survival in permissive species P. perniciosus and P. argentipes but plays an important role in the specific vector P. duboscqi. With regard to PGs other than LPG, the data prove the importance of LPG2-related molecules for survival of L. major in the three sand fly species tested.

  15. Evaluation of two modified culture media for Leishmania infantum cultivation versus different culture media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castelli, Germano; Galante, Antonella; Lo Verde, Vincenza; Migliazzo, Antonella; Reale, Stefano; Lupo, Tiziana; Piazza, Maria; Vitale, Fabrizio; Bruno, Federica

    2014-04-01

    The aim of this study is to improve the cultivation of Leishmania promastigotes without the use of common, semisolid culture media such as Evans' modified Tobie's medium (EMTM), liquid RPMI 1640, and Peptone-yeast extract medium (P-Y). Although EMTM medium permits the growth of a high number of parasites, it is technically difficult to prepare as it requires the use of fresh rabbit blood from animals bred on farms, while RPMI 1640 and P-Y show lower growth rates than the EMTM. There is, therefore, a need to develop new blood-free and time-saving culture systems. The aim of this paper is to propose new modified microbiological media, named RPMI-PY and Tobie-PY, to isolate Leishmania and cultivate parasites for research and diagnostic purposes. This study compares classic culture media to the new media, RPMI-PY and Tobie-PY, and demonstrates that the new media have superior performance in terms of time and parasitic load. The growth rate of the parasite was significantly higher at 24, 48, and 72 hr cultivation, based on counts using Bürker's chambers, when compared to classic media. This study was carried out at the National References Centre for Leishmaniasis (C.Re.Na.L.) where the isolation procedures are conducted daily from a number of different biological matrices.

  16. Discovery of novel inhibitors for Leishmania nucleoside diphosphatase kinase (NDK) based on its structural and functional characterization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mishra, Arjun K.; Singh, Nidhi; Agnihotri, Pragati; Mishra, Shikha; Singh, Saurabh P.; Kolli, Bala K.; Chang, Kwang Poo; Sahasrabuddhe, Amogh A.; Siddiqi, M. I.; Pratap, J. Venkatesh

    2017-06-01

    Nucleoside diphosphate kinases (NDKs) are ubiquitous enzymes that catalyze the transfer of the γ-phosphate moiety from an NTP donor to an NDP acceptor, crucial for maintaining the cellular level of nucleoside triphosphates (NTPs). The inability of trypanosomatids to synthesize purines de novo and their dependence on the salvage pathway makes NDK an attractive target to develop drugs for the diseases they cause. Here we report the discovery of novel inhibitors for Leishmania NDK based on the structural and functional characterization of purified recombinant NDK from Leishmania amazonensis. Recombinant LaNDK possesses auto-phosphorylation, phosphotransferase and kinase activities with Histidine 117 playing an essential role. LaNDK crystals were grown by hanging drop vapour diffusion method in a solution containing 18% PEG-MME 500, 100 mM Bis-Tris propane pH 6.0 and 50 mM MgCl2. It belongs to the hexagonal space group P6322 with unit cell parameters a = b = 115.18, c = 62.18 Å and α = β = 90°, γ = 120°. The structure solved by molecular replacement methods was refined to crystallographic R-factor and Rfree values of 22.54 and 26.52%, respectively. Molecular docking and dynamics simulation -based virtual screening identified putative binding compounds. Protein inhibition studies of selected hits identified five inhibitors effective at micromolar concentrations. One of the compounds showed 45% inhibition of Leishmania promastigotes proliferation. Analysis of inhibitor-NDK complexes reveals the mode of their binding, facilitating design of new compounds for optimization of activities as drugs against leishmaniasis.

  17. Leishmania donovani argininosuccinate synthase is an active enzyme associated with parasite pathogenesis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ines Lakhal-Naouar

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Gene expression analysis in Leishmania donovani (Ld identified an orthologue of the urea cycle enzyme, argininosuccinate synthase (LdASS, that was more abundantly expressed in amastigotes than in promastigotes. In order to characterize in detail this newly identified protein in Leishmania, we determined its enzymatic activity, subcellular localization in the parasite and affect on virulence in vivo. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Two parasite cell lines either over expressing wild type LdASS or a mutant form (G128S associated with severe cases of citrullinemia in humans were developed. In addition we also produced bacterially expressed recombinant forms of the same proteins. Our results demonstrated that LdASS has argininosuccinate synthase enzymatic activity that is abolished using an ASS specific inhibitor (MDLA: methyl-D-L-Aspartic acid. However, the mutant form of the protein is inactive. We demonstrate that though LdASS has a glycosomal targeting signal that binds the targeting apparatus in vitro, only a small proportion of the total cellular ASS is localized in a vesicle, as indicated by protection from protease digestion of the crude organelle fraction. The majority of LdASS was found to be in the cytosolic fraction that may include large cytosolic complexes as indicated by the punctate distribution in IFA. Surprisingly, comparison to known glycosomal proteins by IFA revealed that LdASS was located in a structure different from the known glycosomal vesicles. Significantly, parasites expressing a mutant form of LdASS associated with a loss of in vitro activity had reduced virulence in vivo in BALB/c mice as demonstrated by a significant reduction in the parasite load in spleen and liver. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our study suggests that LdASS is an active enzyme, with unique localization and essential for parasite survival and growth in the mammalian host. Based on these observations LdASS could be further explored as a

  18. Antigen-presenting cells in human cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania major

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    ElHassan, A M; Gaafar, A; Theander, T G

    1995-01-01

    keratinocytes and endothelial cells also showed these characteristics, they may also act as APC. By examining tissue samples from skin lesions and draining lymph nodes it was possible to follow the probable route of trafficking of various inflammatory cells between the skin lesion and lymph nodes. Leishmania...

  19. Improved Antileishmanial Activity of Dppz through Complexation with Antimony(III and Bismuth(III: Investigation of the Role of the Metal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cynthia Demicheli

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Two novel trivalent antimony(III and bismuth(III complexes with the nitrogen-donor heterocyclic ligand dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine (dppz were synthesized and characterized as [Sb(dppzCl3]∙H2O∙CH3OH and [Bi(dppzCl3]. The crystal structure of Sb(III complex was determined by X-ray crystallography. These complexes were evaluated for their activity against the promastigote form of Sb(III-sensitive and –resistant Leishmania infantum chagasi and Leishmania amazonensis strains. Both complexes were more effective than dppz alone in inhibiting the growth of Leishmania promastigotes and were at least 77 and 2,400 times more active than potassium antimonyl tartrate in Sb(III-sensitive and -resistant Leishmania, respectively. The cytotoxicity of dppz and its complexes against mouse peritoneal macrophages occurred at dppz concentrations at least 6-fold greater than those found to be active against Leishmania promastigotes.To investigate the role of the metal in the improved antileishmanial activity of dppz, the activity of the Sb(III complex was compared between the Sb-resistant mutants and their respective parental sensitive strains. The lack of cross-resistance to the Sb(III-dppz complex together with the much lower activity of antimonyl tartrate, SbCl3 and BiCl3 strongly support the model that the metal is not active by itself but improves the activity of dppz through complexation.

  20. Exosome Secretion by the Parasitic Protozoan Leishmania within the Sand Fly Midgut

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vanessa Diniz Atayde

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Despite several studies describing the secretion of exosomes by Leishmania in vitro, observation of their formation and release in vivo has remained a major challenge. Herein, we show that Leishmania constitutively secretes exosomes within the lumen of the sand fly midgut through a mechanism homologous to the mammalian pathway. Through egestion experiments, we demonstrate that Leishmania exosomes are part of the sand fly inoculum and are co-egested with the parasite during the insect’s bite, possibly influencing the host infectious process. Indeed, co-inoculation of mice footpads with L. major plus midgut-isolated or in-vitro-isolated L. major exosomes resulted in a significant increase in footpad swelling. Notably, co-injections produced exacerbated lesions through overinduction of inflammatory cytokines, in particular IL-17a. Our data indicate that Leishmania exosomes are an integral part of the parasite’s infectious life cycle, and we propose to add these vesicles to the repertoire of virulence factors associated with vector-transmitted infections.

  1. First Report on Isolation and Characterization of Leishmania major from Meriones hurrianae (Rodentia: Gerbillidae) of A Rural Cutaneous leishmaniasis Focus in South-Eastern Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kassiri, Hamid; Naddaf, Saied Reza; Javadian, Ezat-Aldin; Mohebali, Mehdi

    2013-09-01

    Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ZCL) is an endemic health problem in many rural areas of Iran, with doubled number of incidences over the last decade. Different species of rodents serve as natural reservoir host for ZCL. The disease is considered as a major health problem in rural areas of Mirjaveh, Chabahar, and Konarak Counties of Sistan va Baluchistan Province. This study describes the identity of Leishmania species, isolated from Meriones hurrianae from Chabahar County using RAPD-PCR methodology. Rodents were entrapped by live traps baited with roasted walnut, tomato, and cucumber during spring and summer. All rodents were identified based on external features including fur color, ears characteristics, tail length, hind feet, body measurements, and internal features of teeth and cranium. Giemsa-stained impressions from rodents' ears were examined for amastigotes microscopically. The samples from infected rodents were cultured in NNN+LIT medium and then the harvested parasites at the stationary phase were subjected to DNA extraction followed by amplification with RAPD-PCR. All the 28 entrapped animals were identified as M. hurrianae. Five animals showed to harbor Leishmania parasite by microscopy. Leishmania DNA isolated from five M. hurrianae produced distinctive bands of L. major with four primers. However, the products that were amplified with primers AB1-07, 327, and 329 were stable and reproducible. This is the first report on the isolation and identification of L. major from M. hurrianae from Iran. Regarding infection rate of 17.8%, M. hurrianae seems to play the major role in the maintenance and transmission of disease to humans in this area.

  2. The Role of Vitamin D and Vitamin D Receptor in Immunity to Leishmania major Infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James P. Whitcomb

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Vitamin D signaling modulates a variety of immune responses. Here, we assessed the role of vitamin D in immunity to experimental leishmaniasis infection in vitamin D receptor-deficient mice (VDRKO. We observed that VDRKO mice on a genetically resistant background have decreased Leishmania major-induced lesion development compared to wild-type (WT mice; additionally, parasite loads in infected dermis were significantly lower at the height of infection. Enzymatic depletion of the active form of vitamin D mimics the ablation of VDR resulting in an increased resistance to L. major. Conversely, VDRKO or vitamin D-deficient mice on the susceptible Th2-biased background had no change in susceptibility. These studies indicate vitamin D deficiency, either through the ablation of VDR or elimination of its ligand, 1,25D3, leads to an increase resistance to L. major infection but only in a host that is predisposed for Th-1 immune responses.

  3. Comparison of Bloodmeal Digestion and the Peritrophic Matrix in Four Sand Fly Species Differing in Susceptibility to Leishmania donovani.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pruzinova, Katerina; Sadlova, Jovana; Seblova, Veronika; Homola, Miroslav; Votypka, Jan; Volf, Petr

    2015-01-01

    The early stage of Leishmania development in sand flies is closely connected with bloodmeal digestion. Here we compared various parameters of bloodmeal digestion in sand flies that are either susceptible (Phlebotomus argentipes and P. orientalis) or refractory (P. papatasi and Sergentomyia schwetzi) to Leishmania donovani, to study the effects on vector competence. The volume of the bloodmeal ingested, time of defecation of bloodmeal remnants, timing of formation and degradation of the peritrophic matrix (PM) and dynamics of proteolytic activities were compared in four sand fly species. Both proven vectors of L. donovani showed lower trypsin activity and slower PM formation than refractory species. Interestingly, the two natural L. donovani vectors strikingly differed from each other in secretion of the PM and midgut proteases, with P. argentipes possessing fast bloodmeal digestion with a very high peak of chymotrypsin activity and rapid degradation of the PM. Experimental infections of P. argentipes did not reveal any differences in vector competence in comparison with previously studied P. orientalis; even the very low initial dose (2×103 promastigotes/ml) led to fully developed late-stage infections with colonization of the stomodeal valve in about 40% of females. We hypothesise that the period between the breakdown of the PM and defecation of the bloodmeal remnants, i.e. the time frame when Leishmania attach to the midgut in order to prevent defecation, could be one of crucial parameters responsible for the establishment of Leishmania in the sand fly midgut. In both natural L. donovani vectors this period was significantly longer than in S. schwetzi. Both vectors are equally susceptible to L. donovani; as average bloodmeal volumes taken by females of P. argentipes and P. orientalis were 0.63 μl and 0.59 μl, respectively, an infective dose corresponding to 1-2 parasites was enough to initiate mature infections.

  4. Control of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania major in south-eastern Morocco.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennis, Issam; De Brouwere, Vincent; Ameur, Btissam; El Idrissi Laamrani, Abderrahmane; Chichaoui, Smaine; Hamid, Sahibi; Boelaert, Marleen

    2015-10-01

    The incidence of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania major has increased in Morocco over the last decade, prompting the Ministry of Health to take intersectoral response measures including vector and reservoir control. The aim of this article was to describe the CL outbreak response measures taken in the province of Errachidia, where the reservoir of L. major, a sand rat (Meriones shawi), was targeted using strychnine-poisoned wheat baits from 2010 to 2012. We analysed routine surveillance data and other information using the data of the CL control programme. We present data on the evolution and the extension of CL in this province as well as the epidemiological profile of the disease. Between 2004 and 2013, 7099 cases of CL were recorded in Errachidia Province, gradually affecting all districts. Our results demonstrate that more women were affected than men and that all age groups were represented. Errachidia Province was the epicentre of the recent CL outbreak in Morocco. A notable decline in incidence rates was observed after 2011. The outbreak control measures may have contributed to this decline, as well as climatic trends or progressing herd immunity. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Kharon1 null mutants of Leishmania mexicana are avirulent in mice and exhibit a cytokinesis defect within macrophages.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khoa D Tran

    Full Text Available In a variety of eukaryotes, flagella play important roles both in motility and as sensory organelles that monitor the extracellular environment. In the parasitic protozoan Leishmania mexicana, one glucose transporter isoform, LmxGT1, is targeted selectively to the flagellar membrane where it appears to play a role in glucose sensing. Trafficking of LmxGT1 to the flagellar membrane is dependent upon interaction with the KHARON1 protein that is located at the base of the flagellar axoneme. Remarkably, while Δkharon1 null mutants are viable as insect stage promastigotes, they are unable to survive as amastigotes inside host macrophages. Although Δkharon1 promastigotes enter macrophages and transform into amastigotes, these intracellular parasites are unable to execute cytokinesis and form multinucleate cells before dying. Notably, extracellular axenic amastigotes of Δkharon1 mutants replicate and divide normally, indicating a defect in the mutants that is only exhibited in the intra-macrophage environment. Although the flagella of Δkharon1 amastigotes adhere to the phagolysomal membrane of host macrophages, the morphology of the mutant flagella is often distorted. Additionally, these null mutants are completely avirulent following injection into BALB/c mice, underscoring the critical role of the KHARON1 protein for viability of intracellular amastigotes and disease in the animal model of leishmaniasis.

  6. The cytotoxic activity of miltefosine against Leishmania and macrophages is associated with dynamic changes in plasma membrane proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandes, Kelly Souza; de Souza, Paulo Eduardo Narcizo; Dorta, Miriam Leandro; Alonso, Antonio

    2017-01-01

    In this study, we combined electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy with an analysis of biophysical cellular parameters to study the mechanisms underlying the in vitro anti-leishmanial activity of miltefosine (MT). A thiol-specific spin label attached to membrane-bound proteins of Leishmania amazonensis and peritoneal macrophages indicated that MT may bind to plasma membrane proteins in large quantities via a detergent-like action and cause structural changes associated with a marked increase in dynamics and exposure to an aqueous environment. EPR spectra of a spin-labeled stearic acid indicated strong interactions between the probe and membrane proteins and a marked increase in the membrane fluidity of MT-treated cells. The cytotoxicity of MT was found to depend on the cell concentration used in the assay. This dependence was described by an equation involving the 50% inhibitory concentrations of MT in the aqueous medium (c w50 ) and the cell membrane (c m50 ) and the membrane-aqueous medium partition coefficient of MT (K). With a c w50 of 8.7μM, macrophages were less sensitive to MT than amastigotes and promastigotes of Leishmania, which had c w50 values of 2.4-3.1μM. The estimated c m50 of MT for Leishmania was 1.8M, which appears sufficient to cause ruptures or formation of pores in the plasma membrane. Additionally, we demonstrated that the changes in the plasma membrane detected by EPR spectroscopy occurred at cytotoxic concentrations of MT, as assessed through in vitro assays. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Novel selective inhibitor of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis arginase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Silva, Edson R; Boechat, Nubia; Pinheiro, Luiz C S; Bastos, Monica M; Costa, Carolina C P; Bartholomeu, Juliana C; da Costa, Talita H

    2015-11-01

    Arginase is a glycosomal enzyme in Leishmania that is involved in polyamine and trypanothione biosynthesis. The central role of arginase in Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis was demonstrated by the generation of two mutants: one with an arginase lacking the glycosomal addressing signal and one in which the arginase-coding gene was knocked out. Both of these mutants exhibited decreased infectivity. Thus, arginase seems to be a potential drug target for Leishmania treatment. In an attempt to search for arginase inhibitors, 29 derivatives of the [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine system were tested against Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis arginase in vitro. The [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine scaffold containing R1  = CF3 exhibited greater activity against the arginase rather than when the substituent R1  = CH3 in the 2-position. The novel compound 2-(5-methyl-2-(trifluoromethyl)-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-7-yl)hydrazinecarbothioamide (30) was the most potent, inhibiting arginase by a non-competitive mechanism, with the Ki and IC50 values for arginase inhibition estimated to be 17 ± 1 μm and 16.5 ± 0.5 μm, respectively. These results can guide the development of new drugs against leishmaniasis based on [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine derivatives targeting the arginase enzyme. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  8. Les phlébotomes (Diptera-Psychodidae de l'île de Chypre.II - Presence de Leishmania (Leishmania infantum Nicolle, 1908 (zymodeme MON 1 chez Phlebotomus (Larroussius tobbi Adler et Theodor, 1930

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    Léger N.

    2000-06-01

    Full Text Available Dans le foyer leishmanien cypriote, les auteurs ont disséqué 2910 femelles de phlébotomes appartenant à 11 espèces : Phlebotomus papatasi, P. sergenti, P. jacusieli, P. alexandri, P. tobbi, P. galilaeus, P. mascittii, P. economidesi, Sergentomyia fallax, S. minuta et S. azizi . Les deux larroussius (P. galilaeus et P. tobbi sont les espèces les plus abondantes. Elles représentent plus de 60 % des captures réalisées avec des pièges CDC. Des promastigotes ont été observées chez un seul spécimen appartenant à l'espèce P. tobbi. Elles ont été mises en culture puis identifiées selon la méthode isoenzymatique. La souche de Leishmania isolée appartient à l'espèce Leishmania infantum, zymodème MON 1. Le même zymodème a été aussi isolé et identifié chez quatre chiens de l'île. En l'absence des vecteurs habituels de L. infantum dans l'est méditerranéen (P. neglectus ef P. syriacus et en raison de sa répartition à Chypre, P. tobbi constitue vraisemblablement un bon vecteur local. Sa faible anthropophilie expliquerait peut-être le très faible nombre de cas humains. Le rôle de P. galilaeus dans la transmission de la leishmaniose à Chypre reste à préciser.

  9. Gene disruptions indicate an essential function for the LmmCRK1 cdc2-related kinase of Leishmania mexicana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mottram, J C; McCready, B P; Brown, K G; Grant, K M

    1996-11-01

    The generation of homozygous null mutants for the crk1 Cdc2-Related Kinase of Leishmania mexicana was attempted using targeted gene disruption. Promastigote mutants heterozygous for crk1 were readily isolated with a hyg-targeting fragment, but attempts to create null mutants by second-round transfections with a bie-targeting fragment yielded two classes of mutant, neither of which was null. First, the transfected fragment formed an episome; second, the cloned transfectants were found to contain wild-type crk1 alleles as well as hyg and ble integrations. DNA-content analysis revealed that these mutants were triploid or tetraploid. Plasticity in chromosome number following targeting has been proposed as a means by which Leishmania avoids deletion of essential genes. These data support this theory and implicate crk1 as an essential gene, validating CRK1 as a potential drug target. L mexicana transfected with a Trypanosoma brucel homologue, tbcrk1, was shown to be viable in an immcrk1 null background, thus showing complementation of function between these trypanosomatid genes. The expression of crk1 was further manipulated by engineering a six-histidine tag at the C-terminus of the kinase, allowing purification of the active complex by affinity selection on Nl(2+)-nitriloacetic acid (NTA) agarose.

  10. Experimental infection of Leishmania (L. chagasi in a cell line derived from Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera:Psychodidae

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    Felio J Bello

    2005-10-01

    Full Text Available The present work describes the in vitro infection of a cell line Lulo, derived from Lutzomyia longipalpis embryonic tissue, by Leishmania chagasi promastigotes. This infection process is compared with a parallel one developed using the J774 cell line. The L. chagasi MH/CO/84/CI-044B strain was used for experimental infection in two cell lines. The cells were seeded on glass coverslips in 24-well plates to reach a final number of 2 x 10(5 cells/well. Parasites were added to the adhered Lulo and J774 cells in a 10:1 ratio and were incubated at 28 and 37ºC respectively. After 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 days post-infection, the cells were extensively washed with PBS, fixed with methanol, and stained with Giemsa. The number of internalized parasites was determined by counting at least 400 cultured cells on each coverslip. The results showed continuous interaction between L. chagasi promastigotes with the cell lines. Some ultrastructural characteristics of the amastigote forms were observed using transmission electron microscopy. The highest percentage of infection in Lulo cells was registered on day 6 post-infection (29.6% and on day 4 in the J774 cells (51%. This work shows similarities and differences in the L. chagasi experimental infection process in the two cell lines. However, Lulo cells emerge as a new model to study the life-cycle of this parasite.

  11. Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii and Leishmania spp. in domestic cats from Luanda, Angola.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopes, Ana Patrícia; Oliveira, Ana Cristina; Granada, Sara; Rodrigues, Filipa T; Papadopoulos, Elias; Schallig, Henk; Dubey, Jitender P; Cardoso, Luís

    2017-05-30

    Toxoplasma gondii and Leishmania spp. are zoonotic protozoa of importance to animal and public health. The present study aimed to assess for the first time the seroprevalence of these zoonotic parasites in a domestic feline population living in Luanda, Angola. One hundred and two cats were sampled at a veterinary medical centre, from May 2014 to February 2016. The age of the cats ranged from 2.5 to 143 months (median: 12 months; interquartile range: 7.5-24). Serum samples were tested for immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibodies to T. gondii at two-fold dilutions of 1:20 to 1:2560 with a modified agglutination test (MAT) commercial kit. The direct agglutination test (DAT) for titration of IgG antibodies specific to Leishmania spp. used a standard freeze-dried antigen at a concentration of 5×10 7 promastigotes per milliliter, following a predefined protocol. Two-fold dilution series ranging from 1:25 to 1:800 were tested, with a cut-off titre of 100 chosen for seropositivity. Four out of 102 cats (3.9%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-9.7) had antibodies to T. gondii: one had a titer of 20, one a titer of 160, and two had a titer≥2560. No cat (0.0%; CI: 0.0-3.5) was found seropositive for Leishmania spp. A statistically significant difference was found between T. gondii seroprevalence and Leishmania spp. seroprevalence (p=0.043). The odds of a cat being seropositive to T. gondii increased by an average factor of 1.58 for each 1-year increase in age (p=0.003). The sampled cats were well-cared animals and may not represent the overall feline population of Angola at the national and city levels. The fact that only 12 out of the 102 sampled cats ate or had access to raw or undercooked meat and/or viscera may have reduced the likelihood of finding seropositive results. Under these circumstances, additional studies, including a larger number of cats, are necessary for a more comprehensive assessment of the zoonotic risk posed by these animals in Angola. Copyright © 2017

  12. Comparison of LAMP and PCR for molecular mass screening of sand flies for Leishmania martiniquensis infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiwananthagorn, Saruda; Kato, Hirotomo; Yeewa, Ranchana; Muengpan, Amontip; Polseela, Raxsina; Leelayoova, Saovanee

    2017-02-01

    Leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania martiniquensis infection has been reported in human and domestic animals of Martinique Island, Germany, Switzerland, USA, Myanmar and Thailand. The peculiar clinical features of disseminated cutaneous and visceral forms co-existence render the urgent need of specific diagnostic tool to identify the natural sand fly vectors for effective prevention and control strategies. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) of 18S rRNA gene as well as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of minicircle kinetoplast DNA gene (PCR-mkDNA) have never been applied to detect L. martiniquensis and L. siamensis in sand fly vectors. The present study was aimed to validate malachite green-LAMP (MG-LAMP) and PCR-mkDNA techniques to detect L. martiniquensis in sand fly vectors, compared with the conventional PCR of internal transcribed spacer 1 (PCR-ITS1). We compared the validity of LAMP of 18S rRNA gene and PCR-mkDNA, to PCR-ITS1 in simulation model of L. martiniquensis infection in Sergentomyia gemmea sand flies. Attributable to the sensitivity and specificity, PCR-mkDNA was consecutively applied to detect L. martiniquensis in 380 female sand fly individuals captured in the newly identified affected region of Lamphun Province, Thailand. Results showed that PCR-mkDNA could detect at least one promastigote per sand fly, which was 10-time superior to LAMP and PCR-ITS1. In addition, PCR-mkDNA was more specific, able to differentiate L. martiniquensis from other viscerotropic Leishmania species, such as L. siamensis, L. (L.) donovani, and L. (L.) infantum. Consecutively, mass screening of L. martiniquensis in 380 female sand fly individuals by PCR-mkDNA was implemented in a new affected area of Thailand where a patient with leishmaniasis/HIV co-infection resides; however Leishmania DNA was undetected. In conclusion, PCR-mkDNA is a promising tool for molecular mass screening of L. martiniquensis infection in outbreak areas where several species of Leishmania

  13. Comparison of LAMP and PCR for molecular mass screening of sand flies for Leishmania martiniquensis infection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiwananthagorn, Saruda; Kato, Hirotomo; Yeewa, Ranchana; Muengpan, Amontip; Polseela, Raxsina; Leelayoova, Saovanee

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND Leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania martiniquensis infection has been reported in human and domestic animals of Martinique Island, Germany, Switzerland, USA, Myanmar and Thailand. The peculiar clinical features of disseminated cutaneous and visceral forms co-existence render the urgent need of specific diagnostic tool to identify the natural sand fly vectors for effective prevention and control strategies. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) of 18S rRNA gene as well as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of minicircle kinetoplast DNA gene (PCR-mkDNA) have never been applied to detect L. martiniquensis and L. siamensis in sand fly vectors. OBJECTIVE The present study was aimed to validate malachite green-LAMP (MG-LAMP) and PCR-mkDNA techniques to detect L. martiniquensis in sand fly vectors, compared with the conventional PCR of internal transcribed spacer 1 (PCR-ITS1). METHODS We compared the validity of LAMP of 18S rRNA gene and PCR-mkDNA, to PCR-ITS1 in simulation model of L. martiniquensis infection in Sergentomyia gemmea sand flies. Attributable to the sensitivity and specificity, PCR-mkDNA was consecutively applied to detect L. martiniquensis in 380 female sand fly individuals captured in the newly identified affected region of Lamphun Province, Thailand. FINDINGS AND MAIN CONCLUSIONS Results showed that PCR-mkDNA could detect at least one promastigote per sand fly, which was 10-time superior to LAMP and PCR-ITS1. In addition, PCR-mkDNA was more specific, able to differentiate L. martiniquensis from other viscerotropic Leishmania species, such as L. siamensis, L. (L.) donovani, and L. (L.) infantum. Consecutively, mass screening of L. martiniquensis in 380 female sand fly individuals by PCR-mkDNA was implemented in a new affected area of Thailand where a patient with leishmaniasis/HIV co-infection resides; however Leishmania DNA was undetected. In conclusion, PCR-mkDNA is a promising tool for molecular mass screening of L. martiniquensis

  14. Prevalence and Distribution of Leishmania RNA Virus 1 in Leishmania Parasites from French Guiana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ginouvès, Marine; Simon, Stéphane; Bourreau, Eliane; Lacoste, Vincent; Ronet, Catherine; Couppié, Pierre; Nacher, Mathieu; Demar, Magalie; Prévot, Ghislaine

    2016-01-01

    In South America, the presence of the Leishmania RNA virus type 1 (LRV1) was described in Leishmania guyanensis and Leishmania braziliensis strains. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence distribution of LRV1 in Leishmania isolates in French Guiana given that, in this French overseas department, most Leishmania infections are due to these parasite species. The presence of the virus was observed in 74% of Leishmania spp. isolates, with a highest presence in the internal areas of the country. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

  15. Anti-Trypanosoma, anti-Leishmania and cytotoxic activities of natural products from Psidium brownianum Mart. ex DC. and Psidium guajava var. Pomifera analysed by LC-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Souza, Celestina Elba Sobral; da Silva, Ana Raquel Pereira; Gomez, Maria Celeste Vega; Rolóm, Míriam; Coronel, Cathia; da Costa, José Galberto Martins; Sousa, Amanda K; Rolim, Larissa A; de Souza, Francisco Hugo Sobral; Coutinho, Henrique Douglas Melo

    2017-12-01

    Neglected diseases are those that are prevalent in developing countries, even with a rich biodiversity. These diseases still persist because of the lack of scientific studies, government negligence or failures of the public health system. This study aims to identify the composition of extracts and fractions from Psidium brownianum and Psidium guajava through LC-MS, to evaluate its in vitro anti-parasitic and cytotoxic activity against Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania brasiliensis and L. infantum epismastigote and promastigote forms, as well as mammalian cells. The results showed the presence of chemical constituents in the two Psidium species as quercetin, myricetin and gallic acid derivatives. The P. brownianum extract and fractions showed low toxicity at all tested concentrations and all samples were effective at the concentration of 1000μg/mL against the parasites, with the extract being the most efficient against the L. infantum promastigote form. The ethanolic extract, and the flavonoid and tannic fractions, from P. guajava showed low toxicity for the fibroblasts. All samples showed effectiveness at the highest concentration tested and the extract was more effective against the promastigote forms tested. The results showed that the species Psidium brownianum and Psidium guajava demonstrated an anti-parasitic activity against the T. cruzi, L. brasiliensis and L. infantum parasite cell lines indicating these species as an alternative therapy given their efficacy in the in vitro assays performed, opening the possibility for new biological studies to further this knowledge through in vivo assays. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Molecular Identification of Leishmania spp. in Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) From Ecuador

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cevallos, Varsovia; Morales, Diego; Baldeón, Manuel E; Cárdenas, Paúl; Rojas-Silva, Patricio; Ponce, Patricio

    2017-01-01

    Abstract The detection and identification of natural infections in sand flies by Leishmania protozoan species in endemic areas is a key factor in assessing the risk of leishmaniasis and in designing prevention and control measures for this infectious disease. In this study, we analyzed the Leishmania DNA using nuclear ribosomal internal transcript spacer (ITS) sequences. Parasite DNA was extracted from naturally infected, blood-fed sand flies collected in nine localities considered leishmaniasis-endemic foci in Ecuador. The species of parasites identified in sand flies were Leishmania major-like, Leishmania naiffi, Leishmania mexicana, Leishmania lainsoni, and “Leishmania sp. siamensis”. Sand fly specimens of Brumptomyia leopoldoi, Mycropigomyia cayennensis, Nyssomyia yuilli yuilli, Nyssomyia trapidoi, Pressatia triacantha, Pressatia dysponeta, Psychodopygus carrerai carrerai, Psychodopygus panamensis, and Trichophoromyia ubiquitalis were found positive for Leishmania parasite. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the epidemiology and transmission dynamics of the disease in high-risk areas of Ecuador. PMID:28981860

  17. Molecular Identification of Leishmania spp. in Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) From Ecuador.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quiroga, Cristina; Cevallos, Varsovia; Morales, Diego; Baldeón, Manuel E; Cárdenas, Paúl; Rojas-Silva, Patricio; Ponce, Patricio

    2017-11-07

    The detection and identification of natural infections in sand flies by Leishmania protozoan species in endemic areas is a key factor in assessing the risk of leishmaniasis and in designing prevention and control measures for this infectious disease. In this study, we analyzed the Leishmania DNA using nuclear ribosomal internal transcript spacer (ITS) sequences. Parasite DNA was extracted from naturally infected, blood-fed sand flies collected in nine localities considered leishmaniasis-endemic foci in Ecuador.The species of parasites identified in sand flies were Leishmania major-like, Leishmania naiffi, Leishmania mexicana, Leishmania lainsoni, and "Leishmania sp. siamensis". Sand fly specimens of Brumptomyia leopoldoi, Mycropigomyia cayennensis, Nyssomyia yuilli yuilli, Nyssomyia trapidoi, Pressatia triacantha, Pressatia dysponeta, Psychodopygus carrerai carrerai, Psychodopygus panamensis, and Trichophoromyia ubiquitalis were found positive for Leishmania parasite. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the epidemiology and transmission dynamics of the disease in high-risk areas of Ecuador. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America.

  18. The putative Leishmania telomerase RNA (LeishTER undergoes trans-splicing and contains a conserved template sequence.

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    Elton J R Vasconcelos

    Full Text Available Telomerase RNAs (TERs are highly divergent between species, varying in size and sequence composition. Here, we identify a candidate for the telomerase RNA component of Leishmania genus, which includes species that cause leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease. Merging a thorough computational screening combined with RNA-seq evidence, we mapped a non-coding RNA gene localized in a syntenic locus on chromosome 25 of five Leishmania species that shares partial synteny with both Trypanosoma brucei TER locus and a putative TER candidate-containing locus of Crithidia fasciculata. Using target-driven molecular biology approaches, we detected a ∼2,100 nt transcript (LeishTER that contains a 5' spliced leader (SL cap, a putative 3' polyA tail and a predicted C/D box snoRNA domain. LeishTER is expressed at similar levels in the logarithmic and stationary growth phases of promastigote forms. A 5'SL capped LeishTER co-immunoprecipitated and co-localized with the telomerase protein component (TERT in a cell cycle-dependent manner. Prediction of its secondary structure strongly suggests the existence of a bona fide single-stranded template sequence and a conserved C[U/C]GUCA motif-containing helix II, representing the template boundary element. This study paves the way for further investigations on the biogenesis of parasite TERT ribonucleoproteins (RNPs and its role in parasite telomere biology.

  19. Antileishmanial activities of dihydrochalcones from piper elongatum and synthetic related compounds. Structural requirements for activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hermoso, Alicia; Jiménez, Ignacio A; Mamani, Zulma A; Bazzocchi, Isabel L; Piñero, José E; Ravelo, Angel G; Valladares, Basilio

    2003-09-01

    Two dihydrochalcones (1 and 2) were isolated from Piper elongatum Vahl by activity-guided fractionation against extracellular promastigotes of Leishmania braziliensis in vitro. Their structures were elucidated by spectral analysis, including homonuclear and heteronuclear correlation NMR experiments. Derivatives 3-7 and 20 synthetic related compounds (8-27) were also assayed to establish the structural requirements for antileishmanial activity. Compounds 1-11 that proved to be more active that ketoconazol, used as positive control, were further assayed against promastigotes of Leishmania tropica and Leishmania infantum. Compounds 7 and 11, with a C(6)-C(3)-C(6) system, proved to be the most promising compounds, with IC(50) values of 2.98 and 3.65 microg/mL, respectively, and exhibited no toxic effect on macrophages (around 90% viability). Correlation between the molecular structures and antileishmanial activity is discussed in detail.

  20. Anti-leishmanial and toxicity activities of some selected Iranian medicinal plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kheiri Manjili, Hamidreza; Jafari, Hamidreza; Ramazani, Ali; Davoudi, Noushin

    2012-11-01

    Leishmaniasis is caused by protozoan parasites belonging to the genus Leishmania. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is the most common form of leishmaniasis in Iran. As there is not any vaccine for leishmaniasis, treatment is important to prevent the spreading of parasites. There is, therefore, a need to develop newer drugs from different sources. The aim of this study was to assess anti-leishmanial activity of the ethanolic extracts of 17 different medicinal plants against Leishmania major promastigotes and macrophage cell line J774. The selection of the hereby studied 17 plants was based on the existing information on their local ethnobotanic history. Plants were dried, powdered, and macerated in a hydroalcoholic solution. Resulting extracts have been assessed for in vitro anti-leishmanial and brine shrimp toxicity activities. Four plants, Caesalpinia gilliesii, Satureia hortensis, Carum copticum heirm, and Thymus migricus, displayed high anti-leishmanial activity (IC50, 9.76 ± 1.27, 15.625 ± 3.76, 15.625 ± 5.46, and 31.25 ± 15.44 μM, respectively) and were toxic against the J774 macrophage cell line at higher concentrations than those needed to inhibit the parasite cell growth (IC50, 45.13 ± 3.17, 100.44 ± 17.48, 43.76 ± 0.78, and 39.67 ± 3.29 μM, respectively). Glucantime as positive control inhibited the growth of L. major promastigotes with IC50 = 254 μg/ml on promastigotes (1 × 10(6)/100 μ/well) of a log phase culture, without affecting the growth of J774 macrophages. These data revealed that C. gilliesii, S. hortensis, C. copticum heirm, and T. migricus extracts contain active compounds, which could serve as alternative agents in the control of cutaneous leishmaniasis. The activity of these herbs against L. major promastigotes and macrophage cell line J774 was reported for the first time in our study.

  1. Characterization of a Novel Endoplasmic Reticulum Protein Involved in Tubercidin Resistance in Leishmania major.

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    Juliana Ide Aoki

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Tubercidin (TUB is a toxic adenosine analog with potential antiparasitic activity against Leishmania, with mechanism of action and resistance that are not completely understood. For understanding the mechanisms of action and identifying the potential metabolic pathways affected by this drug, we employed in this study an overexpression/selection approach using TUB for the identification of potential targets, as well as, drug resistance genes in L. major. Although, TUB is toxic to the mammalian host, these findings can provide evidences for a rational drug design based on purine pathway against leishmaniasis.After transfection of a cosmid genomic library into L. major Friedlin (LmjF parasites and application of the overexpression/selection method, we identified two cosmids (cosTUB1 and cosTU2 containing two different loci capable of conferring significant levels of TUB resistance. In the cosTUB1 contained a gene encoding NUPM1-like protein, which has been previously described as associated with TUB resistance in L. amazonensis. In the cosTUB2 we identified and characterized a gene encoding a 63 kDa protein that we denoted as tubercidin-resistance protein (TRP. Functional analysis revealed that the transfectants were less susceptible to TUB than LmjF parasites or those transfected with the control vector. In addition, the trp mRNA and protein levels in cosTUB2 transfectants were higher than LmjF. TRP immunolocalization revealed that it was co-localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER, a cellular compartment with many functions. In silico predictions indicated that TRP contains only a hypothetical transmembrane domain. Thus, it is likely that TRP is a lumen protein involved in multidrug efflux transport that may be involved in the purine metabolic pathway.This study demonstrated for the first time that TRP is associated with TUB resistance in Leishmania. The next challenge is to determine how TRP mediates TUB resistance and whether purine

  2. Characterization of a Novel Endoplasmic Reticulum Protein Involved in Tubercidin Resistance in Leishmania major.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aoki, Juliana Ide; Coelho, Adriano Cappellazzo; Muxel, Sandra Marcia; Zampieri, Ricardo Andrade; Sanchez, Eduardo Milton Ramos; Nerland, Audun Helge; Floeter-Winter, Lucile Maria; Cotrim, Paulo Cesar

    2016-09-01

    Tubercidin (TUB) is a toxic adenosine analog with potential antiparasitic activity against Leishmania, with mechanism of action and resistance that are not completely understood. For understanding the mechanisms of action and identifying the potential metabolic pathways affected by this drug, we employed in this study an overexpression/selection approach using TUB for the identification of potential targets, as well as, drug resistance genes in L. major. Although, TUB is toxic to the mammalian host, these findings can provide evidences for a rational drug design based on purine pathway against leishmaniasis. After transfection of a cosmid genomic library into L. major Friedlin (LmjF) parasites and application of the overexpression/selection method, we identified two cosmids (cosTUB1 and cosTU2) containing two different loci capable of conferring significant levels of TUB resistance. In the cosTUB1 contained a gene encoding NUPM1-like protein, which has been previously described as associated with TUB resistance in L. amazonensis. In the cosTUB2 we identified and characterized a gene encoding a 63 kDa protein that we denoted as tubercidin-resistance protein (TRP). Functional analysis revealed that the transfectants were less susceptible to TUB than LmjF parasites or those transfected with the control vector. In addition, the trp mRNA and protein levels in cosTUB2 transfectants were higher than LmjF. TRP immunolocalization revealed that it was co-localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), a cellular compartment with many functions. In silico predictions indicated that TRP contains only a hypothetical transmembrane domain. Thus, it is likely that TRP is a lumen protein involved in multidrug efflux transport that may be involved in the purine metabolic pathway. This study demonstrated for the first time that TRP is associated with TUB resistance in Leishmania. The next challenge is to determine how TRP mediates TUB resistance and whether purine metabolism is affected

  3. Cathepsin B in antigen-presenting cells controls mediators of the Th1 immune response during Leishmania major infection.

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    Iris J Gonzalez-Leal

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Resistance and susceptibility to Leishmania major infection in the murine model is determined by the capacity of the host to mount either a protective Th1 response or a Th2 response associated with disease progression. Previous reports involving the use of cysteine cathepsin inhibitors indicated that cathepsins B (Ctsb and L (Ctsl play important roles in Th1/Th2 polarization during L. major infection in both susceptible and resistant mouse strains. Although it was hypothesized that these effects are a consequence of differential patterns of antigen processing, the mechanisms underlying these differences were not further investigated. Given the pivotal roles that dendritic cells and macrophages play during Leishmania infection, we generated bone-marrow derived dendritic cells (BMDC and macrophages (BMM from Ctsb-/- and Ctsl-/- mice, and studied the effects of Ctsb and Ctsl deficiency on the survival of L. major in infected cells. Furthermore, the signals used by dendritic cells to instruct Th cell polarization were addressed: the expression of MHC class II and co-stimulatory molecules, and cytokine production. We found that Ctsb-/- BMDC express higher levels of MHC class II molecules than wild-type (WT and Ctsl-/- BMDC, while there were no significant differences in the expression of co-stimulatory molecules between cathepsin-deficient and WT cells. Moreover, both BMDC and BMM from Ctsb-/- mice significantly up-regulated the levels of interleukin 12 (IL-12 expression, a key Th1-inducing cytokine. These findings indicate that Ctsb-/- BMDC display more pro-Th1 properties than their WT and Ctsl-/- counterparts, and therefore suggest that Ctsb down-regulates the Th1 response to L. major. Moreover, they propose a novel role for Ctsb as a regulator of cytokine expression.

  4. B-1 cells modulate the murine macrophage response to Leishmania major infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arcanjo, Angelica F; Nunes, Marise P; Silva-Junior, Elias B; Leandro, Monique; da Rocha, Juliana Dutra Barbosa; Morrot, Alexandre; Decote-Ricardo, Debora; Freire-de-Lima, Celio Geraldo

    2017-05-26

    To investigate the modulatory effect of B-1 cells on murine peritoneal macrophages infected with Leishmania major ( L. major ) in vitro . Peritoneal macrophages obtained from BALB/c and BALB/c XID mice were infected with L. major and cultured in the presence or absence of B-1 cells obtained from wild-type BALB/c mice. Intracellular amastigotes were counted, and interleukin-10 (IL-10) production was quantified in the cellular supernatants using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The levels of the lipid mediator prostaglandin E2 (PGE 2 ) were determined using a PGE 2 enzyme immunoassay kit (Cayman Chemical, Ann Arbor, MI), and the number of lipid bodies was quantified in the cytoplasm of infected macrophages in the presence and absence of B-1 cells. Culturing the cells with selective PGE 2 -neutralizing drugs inhibited PGE 2 production and confirmed the role of this lipid mediator in IL-10 production. In contrast, we demonstrated that B-1 cells derived from IL-10 KO mice did not favor the intracellular growth of L. major . We report that B-1 cells promote the growth of L. major amastigotes inside peritoneal murine macrophages. We demonstrated that the modulatory effect was independent of physical contact between the cells, suggesting that soluble factor(s) were released into the cultures. We demonstrated in our co-culture system that B-1 cells trigger IL-10 production by L. major -infected macrophages. Furthermore, the increased secretion of IL-10 was attributed to the presence of the lipid mediator PGE 2 in supernatants of L. major -infected macrophages. The presence of B-1 cells also favors the production of lipid bodies by infected macrophages. In contrast, we failed to obtain the same effect on parasite replication inside L. major -infected macrophages when the B-1 cells were isolated from IL-10 knockout mice. Our results show that elevated levels of PGE 2 and IL-10 produced by B-1 cells increase L. major growth, as indicated by the number of parasites in cell

  5. Differential Activation of Human Keratinocytes by Leishmania Species Causing Localized or Disseminated Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scorza, Breanna M; Wacker, Mark A; Messingham, Kelly; Kim, Peter; Klingelhutz, Aloysius; Fairley, Janet; Wilson, Mary E

    2017-10-01

    All Leishmania species parasites are introduced into mammalian skin through a sand fly bite, but different species cause distinct clinical outcomes. Mouse studies suggest that early responses are critical determinants of subsequent adaptive immunity in leishmaniasis, yet few studies address the role of keratinocytes, the most abundant cell in the epidermis. We hypothesized that Leishmania infection causes keratinocytes to produce immunomodulatory factors that influence the outcome of infection. Incubation of primary or immortalized human keratinocytes with Leishmania infantum or Leishmania major, which cause visceral or cutaneous leishmaniasis, respectively, elicited dramatically different responses. Keratinocytes incubated with L. infantum significantly increased expression of proinflammatory genes for IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor, and IL-1B, whereas keratinocytes exposed to several L. major isolates did not. Furthermore, keratinocyte-monocyte co-incubation studies across a 4 µM semipermeable membrane suggested that L. infantum-exposed keratinocytes release soluble factors that enhance monocyte control of intracellular L. infantum replication (P Leishmania species that may affect the course of disease. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Prevalence and risk factors associated with Leishmania infection in Trang Province, southern Thailand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manomat, Jipada; Leelayoova, Saovanee; Bualert, Lertwut; Tan-Ariya, Peerapan; Siripattanapipong, Suradej; Mungthin, Mathirut; Naaglor, Tawee; Piyaraj, Phunlerd

    2017-11-01

    Autochthonous cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania martiniquensis and Leishmania siamensis have been considered emerging infectious diseases in Thailand. The disease burden is significantly underestimated, especially the prevalence of Leishmania infection among HIV-positive patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with Leishmania infection among patients with HIV/AIDS living in Trang province, southern Thailand, between 2015 and 2016. Antibodies against Leishmania infection were assayed using the direct agglutination test (DAT). DNA of Leishmania was detected by ITS1-PCR using the buffy coat. Species of Leishmania were also identified. Of 724 participants, the prevalence of Leishmania infection was 25.1% (182/724) using either DAT or PCR assays. Seroprevalence of Leishmania infection was 18.5% (134/724), while Leishmania DNA detected by the PCR method was 8.4% (61/724). Of these, 24.9% (180/724) were asymptomatic, whereas 0.3% (2/724) were symptomatic VL and VL/CL (cutaneous leishmaniasis). At least five species were identified: L. siamensis, L. martiniquensis, L. donovani complex, L. lainsoni, and L. major. Multivariate analysis showed that CD4+ levels Leishmania infection. Those who were PCR positive for Leishmania DNA were significantly associated with a detectable viral load, whereas non-injection drug use (NIDU) and CD4+ levels Leishmania seropositivity. A magnitude of the prevalence of underreporting Leishmania infection among Thai patients with HIV was revealed in this study. Effective public health policy to prevent and control disease transmission is urgently needed.

  7. Comparative gene expression analysis throughout the life cycle of Leishmania braziliensis: diversity of expression profiles among clinical isolates.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vanessa Adaui

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Most of the Leishmania genome is reported to be constitutively expressed during the life cycle of the parasite, with a few regulated genes. Inter-species comparative transcriptomics evidenced a low number of species-specific differences related to differentially distributed genes or the differential regulation of conserved genes. It is of uppermost importance to ensure that the observed differences are indeed species-specific and not simply specific of the strains selected for representing the species. The relevance of this concern is illustrated by current study. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We selected 5 clinical isolates of L. braziliensis characterized by their diversity of clinical and in vitro phenotypes. Real-time quantitative PCR was performed on promastigote and amastigote life stages to assess gene expression profiles at seven time points covering the whole life cycle. We tested 12 genes encoding proteins with roles in transport, thiol-based redox metabolism, cellular reduction, RNA poly(A-tail metabolism, cytoskeleton function and ribosomal function. The general trend of expression profiles showed that regulation of gene expression essentially occurs around the stationary phase of promastigotes. However, the genes involved in this phenomenon appeared to vary significantly among the isolates considered. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results clearly illustrate the unique character of each isolate in terms of gene expression dynamics. Results obtained on an individual strain are not necessarily representative of a given species. Therefore, extreme care should be taken when comparing the profiles of different species and extrapolating functional differences between them.

  8. Synthesis, Leishmanicidal Activity and Theoretical Evaluations of a Series of Substituted bis-2-Hydroxy-1,4-Naphthoquinones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Morgana V. de Araújo

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available A series of eight substituted bis-2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives was synthesized through lawsone condensation with various aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes under mild acidic conditions. The title compounds were evaluated for antileishmanial activity in vitro against Leishmania amazonensis and Leishmania braziliensis promastigotes; six compounds showed good activity without significant toxic effects. The compound with the highest activity was used for an in vivo assay with Leishmania amazonensis.

  9. Two new antiprotozoal 5-methylcoumarins from Vernonia brachycalyx

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Oketch-Rabah, H A; Lemmich, E; Dossaji, S F

    1997-01-01

    Two new isomeric 5-methylcoumarins, 2'-epicycloisobrachycoumarinone epoxide (1) and cycloisobrachycoumarinone epoxide (2), have been isolated from the roots of Vernonia brachycalyx by means of bioactivity-guided fractionation. The structures were elucidated by MS and NMR spectroscopic methods. Co....... Compounds 1 and 2 showed in vitro activity against Leishmania major promastigotes and against Plasmodium falciparum schizonts and demonstrated an inhibition on the proliferation of human lymphocytes, which was significantly weaker than the antiparasitic effects....

  10. BALB/c Mice Vaccinated with Leishmania major Ribosomal Proteins Extracts Combined with CpG Oligodeoxynucleotides Become Resistant to Disease Caused by a Secondary Parasite Challenge

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Ramírez

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Leishmaniasis is an increasing public health problem and effective vaccines are not currently available. We have previously demonstrated that vaccination with ribosomal proteins extracts administered in combination of CpG oligodeoxynucleotides protects susceptible BALB/c mice against primary Leishmania major infection. Here, we evaluate the long-term immunity to secondary infection conferred by this vaccine. We show that vaccinated and infected BALB/c mice were able to control a secondary Leishmania major challenge, since no inflammation and very low number of parasites were observed in the site of reinfection. In addition, although an increment in the parasite burden was observed in the draining lymph nodes of the primary site of infection we did not detected inflammatory lesions at that site. Resistance against reinfection correlated to a predominant Th1 response against parasite antigens. Thus, cell cultures established from spleens and the draining lymph node of the secondary site of infection produced high levels of parasite specific IFN-γ in the absence of IL-4 and IL-10 cytokine production. In addition, reinfected mice showed a high IgG2a/IgG1 ratio for anti-Leishmania antibodies. Our results suggest that ribosomal vaccine, which prevents pathology in a primary challenge, in combination with parasite persistence might be effective for long-term maintenance of immunity.

  11. Human mixed infections of Leishmania spp. and Leishmania-Trypanosoma cruzi in a sub Andean Bolivian area: identification by polymerase chain reaction/hybridization and isoenzyme

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B Bastrenta

    2003-03-01

    Full Text Available Parasites belonging to Leishmania braziliensis, Leishmania donovani, Leishmania mexicana complexes and Trypanosoma cruzi (clones 20 and 39 were searched in blood, lesions and strains collected from 28 patients with active cutaneous leishmaniasis and one patient with visceral leishmaniasis. PCR-hybridization with specific probes of Leishmania complexes (L. braziliensis, L. donovani and L. mexicana and T. cruzi clones was applied to the different DNA samples. Over 29 patients, 8 (27.6% presented a mixed infection Leishmania complex species, 17 (58.6% a mixed infection Leishmania-T. cruzi, and 4 (13.8% a multi Leishmania-T. cruzi infection. Several patients were infected by the two Bolivian major clones 20 and 39 of T. cruzi (44.8%. The L. braziliensis complex was more frequently detected in lesions than in blood and a reverse result was observed for L. mexicana complex. The polymerase chain reaction-hybridization design offers new arguments supporting the idea of an underestimated rate of visceral leishmanisis in Bolivia. Parasites were isolated by culture from the blood of two patients and lesions of 10 patients. The UPGMA (unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averages dendrogram computed from Jaccard's distances obtained from 11 isoenzyme loci data confirmed the presence of the three Leishmania complexes and undoubtedly identified human infections by L. (V. braziliensis, L. (L. chagasi and L. (L. mexicana species. Additional evidence of parasite mixtures was visualized through mixed isoenzyme profiles, L. (V. braziliensis-L. (L. mexicana and Leishmania spp.-T. cruzi.The epidemiological profile in the studied area appeared more complex than currently known. This is the first report of parasitological evidence of Bolivian patients with trypanosomatidae multi infections and consequences on the diseases' control and patient treatments are discussed.

  12. Human cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania (Viannia braziliensis in Santiago del Estero, Argentina: identification of parasites by monoclonal antibodies and isoenzymes Leishmaniose cutânea humana causada por Leishmania (Viannia braziliensis na Província de Santiago del Estero, Argentina: identificação dos parasitas por anticorpos monoclonais e isoenzimas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C.A. Cuba Cuba

    1996-12-01

    Full Text Available Diagnostic and parasite characterization and identification studies were carried out in human patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis lesions in Santiago del Estero, Northern Province of Argentina. Diagnostic procedures were biopsies of lesions for smears and inoculations in hamster, needle aspirations of material from ulcers for "in vitro" cultures. Immunodiagnostic techniques applied were IFAT-IgG and Montenegro skin test. Primary isolation of eight stocks of leishmanial parasites was achieved from patients with active lesions. All stocks were biologically characterized by their behaviour in hamster, measurements of amastigote and promastigotes and growth "in vitro". Eight stocks were characterized and identified at species level by their reactivity to a cross-panel of sub-genus and specie-specific Monoclonal Antibodies through an Indirect Immunofluorescence technique and a Dot-ELISA. We conclude from the serodeme analysis of Argentina stocks that: stocks MHOM/AR/92/SE-1; SE-2; SE-4; SE-8; SE-8-I; SE-30; SE-34 and SE-36 are Leishmania (Viannia braziliensis. Three Leishmania stocks (SE-1; SE-2 and SE-30 did not react with one highly specie-specific Monoclonal Antibody (Clone: B-18, Leishmania (Viannia braziliensis marker disclosing two serodeme group patterns. Five out of eight soluble extracts of leishmanial promastigotes were electrophoresed on thin-layer starch gels and examined for the enzyme MPI, Mannose Phosphate Isomerase; MDH, Malate Dehydrogenase; 6PGD, 6 Phosphogluconate Dehydrogenase; NH, Nucleoside Hydrolase, 2-deoxyinosinc as substrate; SOD, Superoxide Dismutase; GPI, Glucose Phosphate Isomerase and ES, Esterase. From the isoenzyme studies we concluded that stocks: MHOM/AR/92/SE-1; SE-2; SE-4; SE-8 and SE-8-I are isoenzymatically Leishmania (Viannia braziliensis. We need to analyze more enzymes before assigning them to a braziliensis zymodeme.Estudos de diagnóstico, caracterização parasitária e identificação foram conduzidos em

  13. Molecular detection of Leishmania infection in sand flies in border line of Iran-Turkmenistan: restricted and permissive vectors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakhshi, H; Oshaghi, M A; Abai, M R; Rassi, Y; Akhavan, A A; Sheikh, Z; Mohtarami, F; Saidi, Z; Mirzajani, H; Anjomruz, M

    2013-10-01

    A molecular study was carried out to incriminate sand fly vectors of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in rural areas of Sarakhs district, Khorassane-Razavi Province, northeastern Iran, in 2011. Sand flies of Sergentomyia with three species and Phlebotomus with six species respectively comprised 73.3% and 26.7% of the specimens. Phlebotomus papatasi was the most common Phlebotomine species in outdoor and indoor resting places. Leishmania infection was found at least in 17 (22%) specimens including Ph. papatasi (n=9 pool samples), Phlebotomus caucasicus (n=6), Phlebotomus alexandri (n=1), and Sergentomyia sintoni (n=1). The parasites were found comprised Leishmania major (n=5), Leishmania turanica (n=10), and Leishmania gerbilli (n=4). Infection of Ph. papatasi with both L. major and L. turanica supporting the new suggestion indicating that it is not restricted only with L. major. Circulation of L. major by Ph. alexandri, and both L. gerbilli and L. turanica by Ph. caucasicus, in addition to previous data indicating the ability of Ph. alexandri to circulate Leishmania infantum and Leishmania donovani, and Ph. caucasicus to circulate L. major, suggests that these two species can be permissive vectors. The results suggest that Ph. papatasi and Ph. alexandri are the primary and secondary vectors of CL where circulating L. major between human and reservoirs, whereas Ph. caucasicus is circulating L. turanica and L. gerbilli between the rodents in the region. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Effects of medicinal plant extracts on growth of Leishmania (L. amazonensis and Trypanosoma cruzi Efeito de extratos de plantas medicinais no crescimento de Leishmania (L. amazonensis e Trypanosoma cruzi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrícia Shima Luize

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available This study describes the screening of extracts obtained from 19 species of plants used in Brazilian traditional medicine for treatment of a variety of diseases. The extracts were tested against axenic amastigote and promastigote forms of Leishmania (L. amazonensis, and epimastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi in vitro at a concentration of 100 mg/ml. Baccharis trimera, Cymbopogon citratus, Matricaria chamomilla, Mikania glomerata, Ocimum gratissimum, Piper regnellii, Prunus domestica, Psidium guajava, Sambucus canadensis, Stryphnodendron adstringens, Tanacetum parthenium, and Tanacetum vulgare showed significant effects against one or both parasites, with a percentage of growth inhibition between 49.5 and 99%. The extracts showed no cytotoxic effect on sheep erythrocytes. These medicinal plants may be sources of new compounds that are clinically active against L. amazonensis and T. cruzi.Este estudo descreve a triagem de extratos obtidos de 19 espécies de plantas usadas na medicina tradicional brasileira para o tratamento de várias doenças. Os extratos foram testados contra formas amastigota axênica e promastigota de Leishmania (L. amazonensis, e formas epimastigota de Trypanosoma cruzi in vitro na concentração de 100 mg/ml. Baccharis trimera, Cymbopogon citratus, Matricaria chamomilla, Mikania glomerata, Ocimum gratissimum, Piper regnellii, Prunus domestica, Psidium guajava, Sambucus canadensis, Stryphnodendron adstringens, Tanacetum parthenium, e Tanacetum vulgare apresentaram efeito significante contra um ou ambos parasitas, com a porcentagem de inibição de crescimento entre 49,5 e 99%. Os extratos não mostraram efeito citotóxico em hemácias de carneiro. Essas plantas medicinais podem ser fontes alternativas de novos compostos clinicamente ativos contra L. amazonensis e T. cruzi.

  15. Sandfly Surveillance within an Emerging Epidemic Focus ofCutaneous Leishmaniasis in Southeastern Iran

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    MR Yaghoobi-Ershadi

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available "n "nBackground: Cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania major has become a hot topic in Iran. The objective of this study was to determine some ecological aspects of sand flies in the study area. "n "nMethods: Sand flies were collected biweekly from indoors and outdoors fixed places in the selected villages, using 30 sticky paper traps from the beginning to the end of the active season of 2006 in Kerman Province, south of Iran. The flies were mounted and identified. Some blood fed and gravid female sand flies of rodent burrows and indoors were dissected and examined microscopically for natural promastigote infection of Leishmania parasite during August to September. "n "nResults: In total, 2439 specimens comprising 8 species (3 Phlebotomus and 5 Sergentomyia were identified. The most common sand fly was P. papatasi and represented 87.1% of sand flies from indoors and 57.2% from outdoors. The activity of the species extended from April to end October. There are two peaks in the density curve of this species, one in June and the second in August. Natural promastigote infection was found in P. papatasi (12.7%. "n "nConclusion: Phlebotomus papatasi is considered as a probable vector among gerbils and to humans with a high percentage of promastigote infection in this new focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis. The Bahraman area which until recently was unknown as an endemic area seems now to represent a focus of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis transmission in Iran.

  16. Habitats of the sandfly vectors of Leishmania tropica and L. major in a mixed focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in southeast Tunisia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tabbabi, Ahmed; Ghrab, Jamila; Aoun, Karim; Ready, Paul Donald; Bouratbine, Aïda

    2011-08-01

    From 2009 to 2010, 3129 sandflies were caught in CDC light traps placed in various habitats in Ghomrassen, Tataouine governorate, southeast Tunisia, a mixed focus of human cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania tropica and Leishmania major. Species diversity was quantified in anthropogenic, semi-anthropogenic and semi-natural locations. Sandflies were identified according to morphological characters and also by the comparative sequence analysis of a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene to distinguish between two putative local vectors of L. tropica, namely Phlebotomus chabaudi and Phlebotomus riouxi. The lowest sandfly diversities were found in L. major sites, where the incriminated vector P. papatasi predominated in the burrows of the rodent reservoir hosts (Meriones) as well as inside and outside houses of human cases. In L. tropica sites, the incriminated peri-domestic vector Phlebotomus sergenti was the most abundant species inside houses, whereas P. riouxi or P. chabaudi was the dominant species in the semi-natural rocky habitats favoured by the putative rodent reservoir, Ctenodactylus gundi. All specimens of P. chabaudi identified molecularly had the diagnostic cytochrome b characters of P. riouxi, indicating either that the latter represents only a geographical variant of P. chabaudi or that these two species may sometimes hybridize. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. El método de cultivo "in vitro" como instrumento práctico en el diagnóstico y el aislamiento primário de Leishmania braziliensis braziliensis I. Observaciones de laboratório

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduardo M. Netto

    1986-06-01

    Full Text Available Comparamos diferentes medios artificiales y procedimientos de cultivo in vitro de Leishmania braziliensis braziliensis (Lbb aislada de lesiones de hamsteres experimentalmente infectados. Observamos que la aspiración de material de la lesión, usando jeringa de 5 mlyaguja 22g(25 x 8mm, mostró resultados satisfactorios siendo un procedimiento conveniente de colecta. El medio de Agar Sangre Difco (DAB es un medio eficiente para el aislamiento de Lbb. El medio de Evans demostro similares resultados al DAB, mientras que el medio líquido de Schneider y el químicamente definido AR-103 fueron nitidamente inferiores. En la propagación in vitro de Lbb, el medio de Schneider permitió un buen crecimiento del flagelado, alcanzando densidades de 0,21 - 2,57 x 10(8 promastigotes por ml ya, en el 5.° dia de cultivo. La adición de 5-fluorocytosine a los tubos de cultivo (150/jg/mlpara evitar la contaminación por hongos, no inhibió el crecimiento de Lbb.We have compared differeni media and isolation procedures to cultivate Leishmania braziliensis braziliensis/rom hamster tissues. Wefmd that aspiration of the lesion using a 22 g needle and a five ml syringegives satisfactorv results, and is a convenient sampling method. Difco Blood agar is an efficient medium for isolation. Evans medium gave equal results while Schneiders and AR-103 medium were inferior. In Schneider's medium flagellate growth achieved 0.21 - 2.57 x 10(8 promastigotes/ml bv the fifth day 5-fluorocytosine added to the cultures to avoid fungal contamination does not inhibit the growth of L. b. brasiliensis.

  18. Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Induces Arginase Activity in Leishmania amazonensis Amastigote-Infected Macrophages through a Cytokine-Independent Mechanism

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    Celia Maria Vieira Vendrame

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Leishmania (Leishmania amazonensis exhibits peculiarities in its interactions with hosts. Because amastigotes are the primary form associated with the progression of infection, we studied the effect of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I on interactions between L. (L. amazonensis amastigotes and macrophages. Upon stimulation of infected macrophages with IGF-I, we observed decreased nitric oxide production but increased arginase expression and activity, which lead to increased parasitism. However, stimulation of amastigote-infected macrophages with IGF-I did not result in altered cytokine levels compared to unstimulated controls. Because IGF-I is present in tissue fluids and also within macrophages, we examined the possible effect of this factor on phosphatidylserine (PS exposure on amastigotes, seen previously in tissue-derived amastigotes leading to increased parasitism. Stimulation with IGF-I induced PS exposure on amastigotes but not on promastigotes. Using a PS-liposome instead of amastigotes, we observed that the PS-liposome but not the control phosphatidylcholine-liposome led to increased arginase activity in macrophages, and this process was not blocked by anti-TGF-β antibodies. Our results suggest that in L. (L. amazonensis amastigote-infected macrophages, IGF-I induces arginase activity directly in amastigotes and in macrophages through the induction of PS exposure on amastigotes in the latter, which could lead to the alternative activation of macrophages through cytokine-independent mechanisms.

  19. The current status of phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Tunisia and their role on Leishmania transmission: A review

    OpenAIRE

    Ahmed Tabbabi; Sajida Sboui; Jabeur Daaboub

    2017-01-01

    In Tunisia, the epidemiological situation of leishmaniasis is characterized by the coexistence in a rather circumscribed territory (165000 km2, including the Sahara) of 4 forms of leishmaniasis caused by 3 species: Leishmania infantum, Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica (L. tropica) (synonymous Leishmania killicki). One of the factors determining the clinical, epidemiological and immunological diversity of leishmanioses is certainly the existence of a vector-parasite specificity of of...

  20. Action of Bothrops moojeni venom and its L-amino acid oxidase fraction, treated with {sup 60}Co gamma rays, in Leishmania spp; Acao do veneno de Bothrops moojeni e sua fracao L-aminoacido oxidase, submetida ao tratamento com raios gama de {sup 60}Co, em Leishmania spp

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cardoso, Andre Gustavo Tempone

    1999-07-01

    Bothrops moojeni venom showed an anti leishmania activity in vitro, as determined by a cell viability assay using the reduction of MTT. After venom purification, by chromatography techniques, the fractions with anti leishmania and L-amino acid oxidase activities, eluted in the same positions. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be 140 kDa by molecular exclusion chromatography, and 69 kDa, by SDS-PAGE, migrating as a single band, with an isoelectric point of 4.8 as determined by isoelectric focusing. The purified LAO from B. moojeni venom, 135-fold more active than crude venom, showed homo dimeric constitution, and was active against Leishmania spp from the New World, with an effective concentration against L(L). amazonensis of 1.80 {mu}g/ml (EC{sub 50}), L.(V.) panamensis (0.78 |{mu}g/ml) and L.(L.) chagasi (0.63 ({mu}g/ml). Ultrastructural studies of promastigotes affected by LAO demonstrated cell death, with edema in several organelles such as mitochondria and nuclear membrane, before cell disruption and necrosis. The action of LAO was demonstrated to be hydrogen peroxide-dependent. Studies with LLCMK-2 cells, treated with LAO, showed a toxic effect, with an EC{sub 50} of 11|{mu}g/ml. Irradiation of LAO with 6{sup 0C}o gamma rays, did not affect its whole oxidative activity, neither detoxified the enzyme. Amastigotes treated with LAO were not affected by its hydrogen peroxide, otherwise, the exogenous product, killed amastigotes with an EC{sub 50} of 0.67mM. These data could be of help in the development of alternative therapeutic approaches to the treatment of leishmaniasis. (author)

  1. Antileishmanial activity of berenil and methylglyoxal bis (guanylhydrazone) and its correlation with S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase and polyamines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukhopadhyay, R; Madhubala, R

    1995-01-01

    Leishmania donovani S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) decarboxylase was found to show a growth related pattern. Methylglyoxal bis (guanylhydrazone) (MGBG) and Berenil inhibited the growth of Leishmania donovani promastigotes (strain UR6) in a dose dependent manner. The concentrations of MGBG and Berenil required for 50% inhibition of rate of growth were 67 and 47 microM, respectively. The growth inhibition of MGBG was partially reversed by spermidine (100 microM) and spermine (100 microM). Berenil inhibition of promastigote growth was partially reversed by 100 microM spermidine whereas 100 microM spermine did not result in any reversal of growth. The reduction in parasitemia in vitro by these inhibitors was accompanied by inhibition of AdoMet decarboxylase activity and spermidine levels.

  2. Effect of clinically approved HDAC inhibitors on Plasmodium, Leishmania and Schistosoma parasite growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chua, Ming Jang; Arnold, Megan S J; Xu, Weijun; Lancelot, Julien; Lamotte, Suzanne; Späth, Gerald F; Prina, Eric; Pierce, Raymond J; Fairlie, David P; Skinner-Adams, Tina S; Andrews, Katherine T

    2017-04-01

    Malaria, schistosomiasis and leishmaniases are among the most prevalent tropical parasitic diseases and each requires new innovative treatments. Targeting essential parasite pathways, such as those that regulate gene expression and cell cycle progression, is a key strategy for discovering new drug leads. In this study, four clinically approved anti-cancer drugs (Vorinostat, Belinostat, Panobinostat and Romidepsin) that target histone/lysine deacetylase enzymes were examined for in vitro activity against Plasmodium knowlesi, Schistosoma mansoni, Leishmania amazonensis and L. donovani parasites and two for in vivo activity in a mouse malaria model. All four compounds were potent inhibitors of P. knowlesi malaria parasites (IC 50 9-370 nM), with belinostat, panobinostat and vorinostat having 8-45 fold selectivity for the parasite over human neonatal foreskin fibroblast (NFF) or human embryonic kidney (HEK 293) cells, while romidepsin was not selective. Each of the HDAC inhibitor drugs caused hyperacetylation of P. knowlesi histone H4. None of the drugs was active against Leishmania amastigote or promastigote parasites (IC 50  > 20 μM) or S. mansoni schistosomula (IC 50  > 10 μM), however romidepsin inhibited S. mansoni adult worm parings and egg production (IC 50 ∼10 μM). Modest in vivo activity was observed in P. berghei infected mice dosed orally with vorinostat or panobinostat (25 mg/kg twice daily for four days), with a significant reduction in parasitemia observed on days 4-7 and 4-10 after infection (P < 0.05), respectively. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  3. Effect of clinically approved HDAC inhibitors on Plasmodium, Leishmania and Schistosoma parasite growth

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ming Jang Chua

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Malaria, schistosomiasis and leishmaniases are among the most prevalent tropical parasitic diseases and each requires new innovative treatments. Targeting essential parasite pathways, such as those that regulate gene expression and cell cycle progression, is a key strategy for discovering new drug leads. In this study, four clinically approved anti-cancer drugs (Vorinostat, Belinostat, Panobinostat and Romidepsin that target histone/lysine deacetylase enzymes were examined for in vitro activity against Plasmodium knowlesi, Schistosoma mansoni, Leishmania amazonensis and L. donovani parasites and two for in vivo activity in a mouse malaria model. All four compounds were potent inhibitors of P. knowlesi malaria parasites (IC50 9–370 nM, with belinostat, panobinostat and vorinostat having 8–45 fold selectivity for the parasite over human neonatal foreskin fibroblast (NFF or human embryonic kidney (HEK 293 cells, while romidepsin was not selective. Each of the HDAC inhibitor drugs caused hyperacetylation of P. knowlesi histone H4. None of the drugs was active against Leishmania amastigote or promastigote parasites (IC50 > 20 μM or S. mansoni schistosomula (IC50 > 10 μM, however romidepsin inhibited S. mansoni adult worm parings and egg production (IC50 ∼10 μM. Modest in vivo activity was observed in P. berghei infected mice dosed orally with vorinostat or panobinostat (25 mg/kg twice daily for four days, with a significant reduction in parasitemia observed on days 4–7 and 4–10 after infection (P < 0.05, respectively.

  4. Detection and characterization of Leishmania (Leishmania and Leishmania (Viannia by SYBR green-based real-time PCR and high resolution melt analysis targeting kinetoplast minicircle DNA.

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    Marcello Ceccarelli

    Full Text Available Leishmaniasis is a neglected disease with a broad clinical spectrum which includes asymptomatic infection. A thorough diagnosis, able to distinguish and quantify Leishmania parasites in a clinical sample, constitutes a key step in choosing an appropriate therapy, making an accurate prognosis and performing epidemiological studies. Several molecular techniques have been shown to be effective in the diagnosis of leishmaniasis. In particular, a number of PCR methods have been developed on various target DNA sequences including kinetoplast minicircle constant regions. The first aim of this study was to develop a SYBR green-based qPCR assay for Leishmania (Leishmania infantum detection and quantification, using kinetoplast minicircle constant region as target. To this end, two assays were compared: the first used previously published primer pairs (qPCR1, whereas the second used a nested primer pairs generating a shorter PCR product (qPCR2. The second aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility to discriminate among subgenera Leishmania (Leishmania and Leishmania (Viannia using the qPCR2 assay followed by melting or High Resolution Melt (HRM analysis. Both assays used in this study showed good sensitivity and specificity, and a good correlation with standard IFAT methods in 62 canine clinical samples. However, the qPCR2 assay allowed to discriminate between Leishmania (Leishmania and Leishmania (Viannia subgenera through melting or HRM analysis. In addition to developing assays, we investigated the number and genetic variability of kinetoplast minicircles in the Leishmania (L. infantum WHO international reference strain (MHOM/TN/80/IPT1, highlighting the presence of minicircle subclasses and sequence heterogeneity. Specifically, the kinetoplast minicircle number per cell was estimated to be 26,566±1,192, while the subclass of minicircles amplifiable by qPCR2 was estimated to be 1,263±115. This heterogeneity, also observed in canine clinical

  5. Action of Bothrops moojeni venom and its L-amino acid oxidase fraction, treated with 60Co gamma rays, in Leishmania spp

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cardoso, Andre Gustavo Tempone

    1999-01-01

    Bothrops moojeni venom showed an anti leishmania activity in vitro, as determined by a cell viability assay using the reduction of MTT. After venom purification, by chromatography techniques, the fractions with anti leishmania and L-amino acid oxidase activities, eluted in the same positions. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be 140 kDa by molecular exclusion chromatography, and 69 kDa, by SDS-PAGE, migrating as a single band, with an isoelectric point of 4.8 as determined by isoelectric focusing. The purified LAO from B. moojeni venom, 135-fold more active than crude venom, showed homo dimeric constitution, and was active against Leishmania spp from the New World, with an effective concentration against L(L). amazonensis of 1.80 μg/ml (EC 50 ), L.(V.) panamensis (0.78 |μg/ml) and L.(L.) chagasi (0.63 (μg/ml). Ultrastructural studies of promastigotes affected by LAO demonstrated cell death, with edema in several organelles such as mitochondria and nuclear membrane, before cell disruption and necrosis. The action of LAO was demonstrated to be hydrogen peroxide-dependent. Studies with LLCMK-2 cells, treated with LAO, showed a toxic effect, with an EC 50 of 11|μg/ml. Irradiation of LAO with 6 0C o gamma rays, did not affect its whole oxidative activity, neither detoxified the enzyme. Amastigotes treated with LAO were not affected by its hydrogen peroxide, otherwise, the exogenous product, killed amastigotes with an EC 50 of 0.67mM. These data could be of help in the development of alternative therapeutic approaches to the treatment of leishmaniasis. (author)

  6. Lundep, a sand fly salivary endonuclease increases Leishmania parasite survival in neutrophils and inhibits XIIa contact activation in human plasma.

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    Andrezza C Chagas

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Neutrophils are the host's first line of defense against infections, and their extracellular traps (NET were recently shown to kill Leishmania parasites. Here we report a NET-destroying molecule (Lundep from the salivary glands of Lutzomyia longipalpis. Previous analysis of the sialotranscriptome of Lu. longipalpis showed the potential presence of an endonuclease. Indeed, not only was the cloned cDNA (Lundep shown to encode a highly active ss- and dsDNAse, but also the same activity was demonstrated to be secreted by salivary glands of female Lu. longipalpis. Lundep hydrolyzes both ss- and dsDNA with little sequence specificity with a calculated DNase activity of 300000 Kunitz units per mg of protein. Disruption of PMA (phorbol 12 myristate 13 acetate- or parasite-induced NETs by treatment with recombinant Lundep or salivary gland homogenates increases parasite survival in neutrophils. Furthermore, co-injection of recombinant Lundep with metacyclic promastigotes significantly exacerbates Leishmania infection in mice when compared with PBS alone or inactive (mutagenized Lundep. We hypothesize that Lundep helps the parasite to establish an infection by allowing it to escape from the leishmanicidal activity of NETs early after inoculation. Lundep may also assist blood meal intake by lowering the local viscosity caused by the release of host DNA and as an anticoagulant by inhibiting the intrinsic pathway of coagulation.

  7. Natural canine infection by Leishmania infantum and Leishmania amazonensis and their implications for disease control

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    Letícia da Cruz Sanches

    Full Text Available Abstract Leishmaniasis is a major public health problem worldwide. Because Leishmania can adapt to new hosts or vectors, knowledge concerning the current etiological agent in dogs is important in endemic areas. This study aimed to identify the Leishmania species detected in 103 samples of peripheral blood from dogs that were naturally infected with these protozoa. The diagnosis of leishmaniasis was determined through parasitological examination, the indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR. The Leishmania species were identified by means of PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP. The samples were subjected to PCR using oligonucleotide primers that amplify the intergenic region ITS1 of the rRNA gene in order to identify the species. The amplified DNA was digested using the restriction enzyme HaeIII. A restriction profile identical to L. amazonensis was shown in 77/103 samples and the profile was similar to L. infantum in 17/103. However, a mixed profile was shown in 9/103 samples, which impeded species identification. In conclusion, the infection in these dogs was predominantly due to L. amazonensis, thus indicating that diagnosing of cases of canine leishmaniasis needs to be reexamined, since the causative agent identified is not restricted to L. infantum.

  8. Characterization of Leishmania isolates from Nepalese patients with visceral leishmaniasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandey, Kishor; Yanagi, Testuo; Pandey, Basu Dev; Mallik, Arun Kumar; Sherchand, Jeevan Bahadur; Kanbara, Hiroji

    2007-05-01

    In Nepal, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is endemic in 13 districts of the central and eastern regions. A total of 166 bone-marrow aspirates were obtained from patients with suspected VL. Ninety-seven were identified as positive by microscopy, and 29 of those were successfully isolated and cultured. We characterized these isolates by molecular analysis and by their ability to infect mice. PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the mini-exon and the cysteine proteinase b gene showed that all isolates were Leishmania donovani, and the restriction pattern of the Nepalese isolates corresponded to the standard Indian strain of L. donovani but differed from that of the Kenyan strain. The single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis of ribosomal internal transcribed spacer showed no genetic heterogeneity within Nepalese isolates. Intraperitoneal inoculation with the promastigotes of all isolates resulted in amastigote proliferation in the spleen of 20 nude mice, of which ten isolates were highly infective, and ten were moderately infective, including one BALB/c mouse. Of the 20 amastigotes isolated from the spleen of nude mice, only the ten highly infective isolates infected BALB/c mice, of which, two isolates were considered to have low infectivity, three isolates were considered to be moderately infective, and five isolates were considered to be highly infective.

  9. Antifungal, Antileishmanial, and Cytotoxicity Activities of Various Extracts of Berberis vulgaris (Berberidaceae) and Its Active Principle Berberine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahmoudvand, Hossein; Ayatollahi Mousavi, Seyyed Amin; Sepahvand, Asghar; Sharififar, Fariba; Ezatpour, Behrouz; Gorohi, Fatemeh; Saedi Dezaki, Ebrahim; Jahanbakhsh, Sareh

    2014-01-01

    In this study, in vitro antidermatophytic activity against Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton rubrum, Microsporum canis, and Microsporum gypseum was studied by disk diffusion test and assessment of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) using CLSI broth macrodilution method (M38-A2). Moreover, antileishmanial and cytotoxicity activity of B. vulgaris and berberine against promastigotes of Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica were evaluated by colorimetric MTT assay. The findings indicated that the various extracts of B. vulgaris particularly berberine showed high potential antidermatophytic against pathogenic dermatophytes tested with MIC values varying from 0.125 to >4 mg/mL. The results revealed that B. vulgaris extracts as well as berberine were effective in inhibiting L. major and L. tropica promastigotes growth in a dose-dependent manner with IC50 (50% inhibitory concentration) values varying from 2.1 to 26.6  μ g/mL. Moreover, it could be observed that berberine as compared with B. vulgaris exhibited more cytotoxicity against murine macrophages with CC50 (cytotoxicity concentration for 50% of cells) values varying from 27.3 to 362.6  μ g/mL. Results of this investigation were the first step in the search for new antidermatophytic and antileishmanial drugs. However, further works are required to evaluate exact effect of these extracts in animal models as well as volunteer human subjects.

  10. Antigenicity and protective efficacy of a Leishmania amastigote-specific protein, member of the super-oxygenase family, against visceral leishmaniasis.

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    Vivian T Martins

    Full Text Available The present study aimed to evaluate a hypothetical Leishmania amastigote-specific protein (LiHyp1, previously identified by an immunoproteomic approach performed in Leishmania infantum, which showed homology to the super-oxygenase gene family, attempting to select a new candidate antigen for specific serodiagnosis, as well as to compose a vaccine against VL.The LiHyp1 DNA sequence was cloned; the recombinant protein (rLiHyp1 was purified and evaluated for its antigenicity and immunogenicity. The rLiHyp1 protein was recognized by antibodies from sera of asymptomatic and symptomatic animals with canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL, but presented no cross-reactivity with sera of dogs vaccinated with Leish-Tec, a Brazilian commercial vaccine; with Chagas' disease or healthy animals. In addition, the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of rLiHyp1 plus saponin was evaluated in BALB/c mice challenged subcutaneously with virulent L. infantum promastigotes. rLiHyp1 plus saponin vaccinated mice showed a high and specific production of IFN-γ, IL-12, and GM-CSF after in vitro stimulation with the recombinant protein. Immunized and infected mice, as compared to the control groups (saline and saponin, showed significant reductions in the number of parasites found in the liver, spleen, bone marrow, and in the paws' draining lymph nodes. Protection was associated with an IL-12-dependent production of IFN-γ, produced mainly by CD4 T cells. In these mice, a decrease in the parasite-mediated IL-4 and IL-10 response could also be observed.The present study showed that this Leishmania oxygenase amastigote-specific protein can be used for a more sensitive and specific serodiagnosis of asymptomatic and symptomatic CVL and, when combined with a Th1-type adjuvant, can also be employ as a candidate antigen to develop vaccines against VL.

  11. Inhibition of growth of Leishmania mexicana mexicana by Leishmania mexicana amazonensis during "in vitro" co-cultivation Inibição do crescimento de Leishmania mexicana mexicana por Leishmania mexicana amazonensis durante o co-cultivo "in vitro"

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    Raquel S. Pacheco

    1987-12-01

    Full Text Available Inhibition of one Leishmania subspecies by exometabolites of another subspecies, a phenomenon not previously reported, is suggested by our recent observations in cell cloning experiments with Leishmania mexicana mexicana and Leishmania mexicana amazonensis. Clones were identified using the technique of schizodeme analysis. The phenomenon observed is clearly relevant to studies of parasite isolation, leishmanial metabolism, cross-immunity and chemotherapy.Inhibição do crescimento de um subespécie de Leishmania por exometabólitos de outra subespécie, um fenômeno ainda não notificado, é sugerido em nossas recentes observações em experimentos de clonagem celular com Leishmania mexicana mexicana e Leishmania mexicana amazonensis. Os clones foram identificados usando a técnica de análise de esquizodemas. O fenômeno observado é claramente relevante em estudos de isolamento parasitário, metabolismo, imunidade cruzada e quimioterapia.

  12. Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic characterization of LmACR2, an arsenate/antimonate reductase from Leishmania major

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bisacchi, Davide [Bioinformatics and Structural Proteomics, IST-National Cancer Research Institute, Genova (Italy); Zhou, Yao; Rosen, Barry P.; Mukhopadhyay, Rita [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan (United States); Bordo, Domenico, E-mail: domenico.bordo@istge.it [Bioinformatics and Structural Proteomics, IST-National Cancer Research Institute, Genova (Italy)

    2006-10-01

    LmACR2 from L. major is the first rhodanese-like enzyme directly involved in the reduction of arsenate and antimonate to be crystallized. Diffraction data have been collected to 1.99 Å resolution using synchrotron X-rays. Arsenic is present in the biosphere owing either to the presence of pesticides and herbicides used in agricultural and industrial activities or to leaching from geological formations. The health effects of prolonged exposure to arsenic can be devastating and may lead to various forms of cancer. Antimony(V), which is chemically very similar to arsenic, is used instead in the treatment of leishmaniasis, an infection caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania sp.; the reduction of pentavalent antimony contained in the drug Pentostam to the active trivalent form arises from the presence in the Leishmania genome of a gene, LmACR2, coding for the protein LmACR2 (14.5 kDa, 127 amino acids) that displays weak but significant sequence similarity to the catalytic domain of Cdc25 phosphatase and to rhodanese enzymes. For structural characterization, LmACR2 was overexpressed, purified to homogeneity and crystallized in a trigonal space group (P321 or P3{sub 1}21/P3{sub 2}21). The protein crystallized in two distinct trigonal crystal forms, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 111.0, c = 86.1 Å and a = b = 111.0, c = 175.6 Å, respectively. At a synchrotron beamline, the diffraction pattern extended to a resolution limit of 1.99 Å.

  13. Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic characterization of LmACR2, an arsenate/antimonate reductase from Leishmania major

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bisacchi, Davide; Zhou, Yao; Rosen, Barry P.; Mukhopadhyay, Rita; Bordo, Domenico

    2006-01-01

    LmACR2 from L. major is the first rhodanese-like enzyme directly involved in the reduction of arsenate and antimonate to be crystallized. Diffraction data have been collected to 1.99 Å resolution using synchrotron X-rays. Arsenic is present in the biosphere owing either to the presence of pesticides and herbicides used in agricultural and industrial activities or to leaching from geological formations. The health effects of prolonged exposure to arsenic can be devastating and may lead to various forms of cancer. Antimony(V), which is chemically very similar to arsenic, is used instead in the treatment of leishmaniasis, an infection caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania sp.; the reduction of pentavalent antimony contained in the drug Pentostam to the active trivalent form arises from the presence in the Leishmania genome of a gene, LmACR2, coding for the protein LmACR2 (14.5 kDa, 127 amino acids) that displays weak but significant sequence similarity to the catalytic domain of Cdc25 phosphatase and to rhodanese enzymes. For structural characterization, LmACR2 was overexpressed, purified to homogeneity and crystallized in a trigonal space group (P321 or P3 1 21/P3 2 21). The protein crystallized in two distinct trigonal crystal forms, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 111.0, c = 86.1 Å and a = b = 111.0, c = 175.6 Å, respectively. At a synchrotron beamline, the diffraction pattern extended to a resolution limit of 1.99 Å

  14. Leishmania (Leishmania infantum chagasi em canídeos silvestres mantidos em cativeiro, no Estado de Mato Grosso Leishmania (Leishmania infantum chagasi in wild canids kept in captivity in the State of Mato Grosso

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    Nely Pinheiro Souza

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUÇÃO: Leishmaniose visceral é uma zoonose que acomete diversos mamíferos tendo os canídeos domésticos como principais reservatórios em ambiente urbano. A presente nota descreve a infecção de canídeos silvestres por Leishmania (Leishmania infantum chagasi mantidos em cativeiro no Estado de Mato Grosso, Brasil. MÉTODOS: De seis raposas (Cerdocyon thous e um cachorro vinagre (Spheotos venaticus, foram coletadas amostras de pele, medula óssea e linfonodo para detecção e caracterização de Leishmania sp pela técnica de PCR-RFLP. RESULTADOS: Todos as animais pesquisados apresentaram-se positivos para Leishmania (L. infantum chagasi. CONCLUSÕES: Destaca-se a importância de monitoramento adequado dos mesmos, além do maior controle desta enfermidade já que estes animais estão em ambientes de recreação pública.INTRODUCTION: Visceral leishmaniasis is a zoonosis that affects many mammals, and domestic canids are the main reservoirs in urban environments. This note describes infection by Leishmania (Leishmania infantum chagasi among wild canids kept in captivity in the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil. METHODS: Skin, bone marrow and lymph node samples were collected from six crab-eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous and one bush dog (Spheotos venaticus, in order to detect and characterize Leishmania using the PCR-RFLP technique. RESULTS: All the animals studied were positive for Leishmania (L. infantum chagasi. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of adequate monitoring of these animals, as well as greater control of this disease, given that these animals are in a public recreation environment.

  15. Synthesis and antileishmanial activity of antimony (V) complexes of hydroxypyranone and hydroxypyridinone ligands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheikhmoradi, Vafa; Saberi, Sedigheh; Saghaei, Lotfollah; Pestehchian, Nader; Fassihi, Afshin

    2018-04-01

    A novel series of antimony (V) complexes with the hydroxypyranone and hydroxypyridinone ligands were synthesized and characterized by 1 HNMR, FT-IR and electron spin ionization mass spectroscopic (ESI-MS) techniques. The synthesis process involved protection of hydroxyl group followed by the reaction of the intermediate with primary amines and finally deprotection. All compounds were evaluated for in vitro activities against the amastigote and promastigote forms of Leishmania major . Most of the synthesized compounds exhibited good antileishmanial activity against both forms of L. major . IC 50 values of the most active compounds; 9d , 9d and 9e , after 24, 48 and 72 h against amastigote model were 15, 12.5 and 5.5 μg/mL, respectively. 9e , 11 and 9e inhibited the promastigote form of parasite after 24, 48 and 72 h with IC 50 values of 10, 2 and 1 μg/mL, respectively.

  16. Mapa del proteoma de parásitos de Leishmania Viannia a partir de electroforesis de geles de poliacramida en dos dimensiones y otras técnicas asociadas

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    Rafael Góngora

    2003-06-01

    Full Text Available En este estudio demostramos el potencial de la electroforesis en dos dimensiones (2DE como herramienta para la caracterización del proteoma de Leishmania (expresión proteica complementaria del genoma. Los proteomas por 2DE en el rango neutro (pH 5-7 de extractos solubles de promastigotes de Leishmania (Viannia guyanensis y Leishmania (Viannia panamensis fueron reproducibles usando tampón de lisis de urea y nonidet P-40. Con la tinción de azul de Coomassie y nitrato de plata se detectaron, con buena resolución, 800 y 1.500 puntos de proteínas, respectivamente. Entre las proteínas de referencia comunes, aisladas de los proteomas de las cepas estudiadas, se identificaron por medio de espectrometría de masa de péptidos (LC-ES-MS/MS y métodos bioinformáticos, proteínas de choque térmico, proteína ribosomal S12, proteína de membrana del cinetoplasto 11 y una proteína hipotética específica de Leishmania de 13 kDa con función desconocida. Por inmunoblot y utilizando un anticuerpo monoclonal, se detectaron específicamente las proteínas paraflagelar 1 y 2 de 81,4 kDa y 77,5 kDa, respectivamente. La expresión proteica diferencial encontrada en los distintos clones de parásitos fueron reproducibles al ser comparados por medio de un programa analizador de imágenes. Estos datos demuestran el poder de resolución del análisis de proteomas por 2DE. La producción y caracterización de mapas proteicos básicos de Leishmania con buena calidad constituye un paso esencial en los estudios proteómicos comparativos orientados a la identificación de factores moleculares involucrados en la resistencia a drogas, virulencia de parásitos y el descubrimiento de blancos para nuevas drogas y vacunas.

  17. In-silico Leishmania Target Selectivity of Antiparasitic Terpenoids

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    Ifedayo Victor Ogungbe

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs, like leishmaniasis, are major causes of mortality in resource-limited countries. The mortality associated with these diseases is largely due to fragile healthcare systems, lack of access to medicines, and resistance by the parasites to the few available drugs. Many antiparasitic plant-derived isoprenoids have been reported, and many of them have good in vitro activity against various forms of Leishmania spp. In this work, potential Leishmania biochemical targets of antiparasitic isoprenoids were studied in silico. Antiparasitic monoterpenoids selectively docked to L. infantum nicotinamidase, L. major uridine diphosphate-glucose pyrophosphorylase and methionyl t-RNA synthetase. The two protein targets selectively targeted by germacranolide sesquiterpenoids were L. major methionyl t-RNA synthetase and dihydroorotate dehydrogenase. Diterpenoids generally favored docking to L. mexicana glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Limonoids also showed some selectivity for L. mexicana glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and L. major dihydroorotate dehydrogenase while withanolides docked more selectively with L. major uridine diphosphate-glucose pyrophosphorylase. The selectivity of the different classes of antiparasitic compounds for the protein targets considered in this work can be explored in fragment- and/or structure-based drug design towards the development of leads for new antileishmanial drugs.

  18. Chemical composition and antiprotozoal activities of Colombian Lippia spp essential oils and their major components

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    Patricia Escobar

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available The chemical composition and biological activities of 19 essential oils and seven of their major components were tested against free and intracellular forms of Leishmania chagasi and Trypanosoma cruzi parasites as well as Vero and THP-1 mammalian cell lines. The essential oils were obtained from different species of Lippia, a widely distributed genus of Colombian plants. They were extracted by microwave radiation-assisted hydro-distillation and characterised by GC-FID and GC-MS. The major components were geranial, neral, limonene, nerol, carvacrol, p-cymene, γ-terpinene, carvone and thymol. The essential oil of Lippia alba exhibited the highest activity against T. cruzi epimastigotes and intracellular amastigotes with an IC50 of 5.5 μg/mL and 12.2 μg/mL, respectively. The essential oil of Lippia origanoides had an IC50 of 4.4 μg/mL in L. chagasi promastigotes and exhibited no toxicity in mammalian cells. Thymol (IC50 3.2 ± 0.4 μg/mL and S-carvone (IC50 6.1 ± 2.2 μg/mL, two of the major components of the active essential oils, were active on intracellular amastigotes of T. cruziinfected Vero cells, with a selective index greater than 10. None of the essential oils or major components tested in this study was active on amastigotes of L. chagasi infected THP-1 cells.

  19. Suppression of LPS-induced inflammatory responses in macrophages infected with Leishmania

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    Kelly Ben L

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Chronic inflammation activated by macrophage innate pathogen recognition receptors such as TLR4 can lead to a range of inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis, Crohn's disease, arthritis and cancer. Unlike many microbes, the kinetoplastid protozoan pathogen Leishmania has been shown to avoid and even actively suppress host inflammatory cytokine responses, such as LPS-induced IL-12 production. The nature and scope of Leishmania-mediated inflammatory cytokine suppression, however, is not well characterized. Advancing our knowledge of such microbe-mediated cytokine suppression may provide new avenues for therapeutic intervention in inflammatory disease. Methods We explored the kinetics of a range of cytokine and chemokine responses in primary murine macrophages stimulated with LPS in the presence versus absence of two clinically distinct species of Leishmania using sensitive multiplex cytokine analyses. To confirm that these effects were parasite-specific, we compared the effects of Leishmania uptake on LPS-induced cytokine expression with uptake of inert latex beads. Results Whilst Leishmania uptake alone did not induce significant levels of any cytokine analysed in this study, Leishmania uptake in the presence of LPS caused parasite-specific suppression of certain LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-12, IL-17 and IL-6. Interestingly, L. amazonensis was generally more suppressive than L. major. We also found that other LPS-induced proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1α, TNF-α and the chemokines MIP-1α and MCP-1 and also the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, were augmented during Leishmania uptake, in a parasite-specific manner. Conclusions During uptake by macrophages, Leishmania evades the activation of a broad range of cytokines and chemokines. Further, in the presence of a strong inflammatory stimulus, Leishmania suppresses certain proinflammatory cytokine responses in a parasite

  20. Sporotrichoid cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania major of different zymodemes in the Sudan and Saudi Arabia: a comparative study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gaafar, A; Fadl, A; el Kadaro, A Y

    1994-01-01

    Sporotrichoid cutaneous leishmaniasis is due to dissemination of amastigotes via the lymphatics to the subcutaneous tissues. A comparison was made between the potential to disseminate by this route of 2 parasites of different zymodemes in Sudan and Saudi Arabia. In Sudan cutaneous leishmaniasis...... is caused by Leishmania major zymodeme LON-1, and in Saudi Arabia by L. major LON-4. Sporotrichoid leishmaniasis was significantly more common in Sudan, occurring in 23% of patients compared with 10% in Saudi Arabia. Lymph node involvement was slightly more prevalent in the Sudan. Clinical and pathological...... differences between subcutaneous nodules, particularly when they ulcerate, and multiple primary cutaneous lesions are described and treatment of localized and sporotrichoid leishmaniasis is discussed. The pathological features of the primary lesions in the Sudan and Saudi Arabia were similar....

  1. Isolation of an enriched plasma membrame subpellicular microtubule fraction of Leishmania mexicana amazonensis

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    Solange L. Timm

    1980-01-01

    Full Text Available A cell fractionation procedure previously developed for Trypanosoma cruzi was applied to isolated the plasma membrane of promastigotes of Leishania mexicana amazonensis. The cell, swollen in an hypotonic mediun, were disrupted in the presence of a nonionic detergent and the membrane fraction isolated by differencial centrifugation. Electron microscopy showed that the fraction consisted of pieces of the plasma membrane associated with subpellicular microtubules. It was also shown that this fraction is able to induce cell-mediated immune response in mice.Um método de fracionamento subcelular, previamente desenvolvido para Trypanosoma cruzi, foi aplicado para isolar a membrana plasmática de promastigotas de Leishmania mexicana amazonensis. As células, após turgimento em meio hipotônico, foram rompidas na presença de um detergente não iônico e a fração de membrana isolada por centrifugação diferencial. A microscopia eletrônica mostrou consistir a fração de fragmentos de membrana plasmática associados com microtúbulos subpeliculares. Foi também mostrado que esta fração era capaz de induzir resposta celular em camundongos.

  2. Mechanism of ascaridole activation in Leishmania.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geroldinger, Gerald; Tonner, Matthias; Hettegger, Hubert; Bacher, Markus; Monzote, Lianet; Walter, Martin; Staniek, Katrin; Rosenau, Thomas; Gille, Lars

    2017-05-15

    Endoperoxides (EP) are an emerging class of drugs which have potential in antiparasitic therapy, but also in other fields. For malaria therapy the EP artemisinin (Art) and its derivatives are successfully used. We have shown in the past that the EP ascaridole (Asc) is useful for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis in a mouse model. Biomimetic experiments suggested that these drugs need activation in the respective target pathogens to exert their function. In spite of this idea, direct activation of EP to radicals inside cells has never been demonstrated. Therefore, this study was initiated to explore the activation of Asc in biomimetic systems and inside Leishmania in comparison to Art. Using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) in combination with spin-trapping we identified the secondary alkyl radical intermediates arising from reduction by Fe 2+ in cell-free systems. Combined GC/NMR analysis confirmed the loss of isopropyl residues from Asc during this process as intermediates. This activation of Asc was stimulated by low molecular Fe 2+ complexes or alternatively by hemin in conjunction with thiol reductants, such as cysteine (Cys). In Leishmania tarentolae promastigotes (LtP) as model for pathogenic forms of Leishmania carbon-centered radicals were identified in the presence of Asc by EPR spin-trapping. Both Asc and Art inhibited the viability in LtP with IC 50 values in the low micromolar range while IC 50 values for J774 macrophages were considerably higher. A similar structure without EP bridge (1,4-cineole) resulted in no detectable radicals and possessed much less cytotoxicity in LtP and no selectivity for LtP compared to J774 cells. The Asc-derived radical formation in LtP was inhibited by the iron chelator deferoxamine (DFO), and stimulated by Cys (a suitable reductant for hemin). The IC 50 values for LtP viability in the presence of Asc or Art were increased significantly by the spin trap DMPO, while Cys and DFO increased only IC 50

  3. LIGHT Is critical for IL-12 production by dendritic cells, optimal CD4+ Th1 cell response, and resistance to Leishmania major.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Guilian; Liu, Dong; Okwor, Ifeoma; Wang, Yang; Korner, Heinrich; Kung, Sam K P; Fu, Yang-Xin; Uzonna, Jude E

    2007-11-15

    Although studies indicate LIGHT (lymphotoxin (LT)-like, exhibits inducible expression and competes with HSV glycoprotein D for herpes virus entry mediator (HVEM), a receptor expressed by T lymphocytes) enhances inflammation and T cell-mediated immunity, the mechanisms involved in this process remain obscure. In this study, we assessed the role of LIGHT in IL-12 production and development of CD4(+) Th cells type one (Th1) in vivo. Bone marrow-derived dendritic cells from LIGHT(-/-) mice were severely impaired in IL-12p40 production following IFN-gamma and LPS stimulation in vitro. Furthermore, blockade of LIGHT in vitro and in vivo with HVEM-Ig and LT beta receptor (LTbetaR)-Ig leads to impaired IL-12 production and defective polyclonal and Ag-specific IFN-gamma production in vivo. In an infection model, injection of HVEM-Ig or LTbetaR-Ig into the usually resistant C57BL/6 mice results in defective IL-12 and IFN-gamma production and severe susceptibility to Leishmania major that was reversed by rIL-12 treatment. This striking susceptibility to L. major in mice injected with HVEM-Ig or LTbetaR-Ig was also reproduced in LIGHT(-/-) --> RAG1(-/-) chimeric mice. In contrast, L. major-infected LTbeta(-/-) mice do not develop acute disease, suggesting that the effect of LTbetaR-Ig is not due to blockade of membrane LT (LTalpha1beta2) signaling. Collectively, our data show that LIGHT plays a critical role for optimal IL-12 production by DC and the development of IFN-gamma-producing CD4(+) Th1 cells and its blockade results in severe susceptibility to Leishmania major.

  4. Induction of a stringent metabolic response in intracellular stages of Leishmania mexicana leads to increased dependence on mitochondrial metabolism.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eleanor C Saunders

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Leishmania parasites alternate between extracellular promastigote stages in the insect vector and an obligate intracellular amastigote stage that proliferates within the phagolysosomal compartment of macrophages in the mammalian host. Most enzymes involved in Leishmania central carbon metabolism are constitutively expressed and stage-specific changes in energy metabolism remain poorly defined. Using (13C-stable isotope resolved metabolomics and (2H2O labelling, we show that amastigote differentiation is associated with reduction in growth rate and induction of a distinct stringent metabolic state. This state is characterized by a global decrease in the uptake and utilization of glucose and amino acids, a reduced secretion of organic acids and increased fatty acid β-oxidation. Isotopomer analysis showed that catabolism of hexose and fatty acids provide C4 dicarboxylic acids (succinate/malate and acetyl-CoA for the synthesis of glutamate via a compartmentalized mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid (TCA cycle. In vitro cultivated and intracellular amastigotes are acutely sensitive to inhibitors of mitochondrial aconitase and glutamine synthetase, indicating that these anabolic pathways are essential for intracellular growth and virulence. Lesion-derived amastigotes exhibit a similar metabolism to in vitro differentiated amastigotes, indicating that this stringent response is coupled to differentiation signals rather than exogenous nutrient levels. Induction of a stringent metabolic response may facilitate amastigote survival in a nutrient-poor intracellular niche and underlie the increased dependence of this stage on hexose and mitochondrial metabolism.

  5. Valosin-containing protein VCP/p97 is essential for the intracellular development of Leishmania and its survival under heat stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguiar, Bruno G; Padmanabhan, Prasad K; Dumas, Carole; Papadopoulou, Barbara

    2018-06-12

    VCP/p97/Cdc48 is one of the best-characterized type II cytosolic AAA+ ATPases most known for their role in ubiquitin-dependent protein quality control. Here, we provide functional insights into the role of the Leishmania VCP/p97 homolog (LiVCP) in the parasite intracellular development. We demonstrate that although LiVCP is an essential gene, L. infantum promastigotes can grow with less VCP. In contrast, growth of axenic and intracellular amastigotes is dramatically affected upon decreased LiVCP levels in heterozygous and temperature sensitive LiVCP mutants or the expression of dominant negative mutants known to specifically target the second conserved VCP ATPase domain, a major contributor of the VCP overall ATPase activity. Interestingly, these VCP mutants are also unable to survive heat stress and a temperature sensitive VCP mutant is defective in amastigote growth. Consistent with LiVCP's essential function in amastigotes, LiVCP mRNA undergoes 3'UTR-mediated developmental regulation, resulting in higher VCP expression in amastigotes. Furthermore, we show that parasite mutant lines expressing lower VCP levels or dominant negative VCP forms exhibit high accumulation of polyubiquitinated proteins and increased sensitivity to proteotoxic stress, supporting the ubiquitin-selective chaperone function of LiVCP. Together, these results emphasize the crucial role LiVCP plays under heat stress and during the parasite intracellular development. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  6. First evidence of Leishmania infection in European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) in Greece: GIS analysis and phylogenetic position within the Leishmania spp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsokana, C N; Sokos, C; Giannakopoulos, A; Mamuris, Z; Birtsas, P; Papaspyropoulos, K; Valiakos, G; Spyrou, V; Lefkaditis, M; Chatzopoulos, D C; Kantere, M; Manolakou, K; Touloudi, A; Burriel, A Rodi; Ferroglio, E; Hadjichristodoulou, C; Billinis, C

    2016-01-01

    Although the existence of a sylvatic transmission cycle of Leishmania spp., independent from the domestic cycle, has been proposed, data are scarce on Leishmania infection in wild mammals in Greece. In this study, we aimed to investigate the presence of Leishmania infection in the European brown hare in Greece, to infer the phylogenetic position of the Leishmania parasites detected in hares in Greece, and to identify any possible correlation between Leishmania infection in hares with environmental parameters, using the geographical information system (GIS). Spleen samples from 166 hares were tested by internal transcribed spacer-1 (ITS-1)-nested PCR for the detection of Leishmania DNA. Phylogenetic analysis was performed on Leishmania sequences from hares in Greece in conjunction with Leishmania sequences from dogs in Greece and 46 Leishmania sequences retrieved from GenBank. The Leishmania DNA prevalence in hares was found to be 23.49 % (95 % confidence interval (CI) 17.27-30.69). The phylogenetic analysis confirmed that the Leishmania sequences from hares in Greece belong in the Leishmania donovani complex. The widespread Leishmania infection in hares should be taken into consideration because under specific circumstances, this species can act as a reservoir host. This study suggests that the role of wild animals, including hares, in the epidemiology of Leishmania spp. in Greece deserves further elucidation.

  7. Progress towards a Leishmania vaccine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tabbara, Khaled S

    2006-07-01

    Leishmaniasis is a vector-born protozoan disease. Approximately 12 million individuals are affected worldwide with an estimated annual incidence of 1.5-2 million. Two clinical manifestations are recognized, cutaneous, and visceral, both of which are common in the Middle East. In both forms, infection is chronic, with potential deformities, persistence following cure, and lifelong risk of reactivation. Attempts to develop an effective human Leishmania vaccine have not yet succeeded. Leishmanization, a crude form of live vaccination historically originated in this part of the world. Experimental vaccination has been extensively studied in model animals in the past 2 decades. In this review, major human killed vaccine trials are surveyed, and modern trends in Leishmania vaccine development, including subunit vaccines, naked DNA vaccines, and transmission blocking vaccines are explored. Recent findings of a link between persistence of live parasites, and maintenance of long-term immunity suggest live vaccination with attenuated strains, as a future vaccination strategy.

  8. Identification of Tunisian Leishmania spp. by PCR amplification of cysteine proteinase B (cpb) genes and phylogenetic analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaouch, Melek; Fathallah-Mili, Akila; Driss, Mehdi; Lahmadi, Ramzi; Ayari, Chiraz; Guizani, Ikram; Ben Said, Moncef; Benabderrazak, Souha

    2013-03-01

    Discrimination of the Old World Leishmania parasites is important for diagnosis and epidemiological studies of leishmaniasis. We have developed PCR assays that allow the discrimination between Leishmania major, Leishmania tropica and Leishmania infantum Tunisian species. The identification was performed by a simple PCR targeting cysteine protease B (cpb) gene copies. These PCR can be a routine molecular biology tools for discrimination of Leishmania spp. from different geographical origins and different clinical forms. Our assays can be an informative source for cpb gene studying concerning drug, diagnostics and vaccine research. The PCR products of the cpb gene and the N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate transferase (nagt) Leishmania gene were sequenced and aligned. Phylogenetic trees of Leishmania based cpb and nagt sequences are close in topology and present the classic distribution of Leishmania in the Old World. The phylogenetic analysis has enabled the characterization and identification of different strains, using both multicopy (cpb) and single copy (nagt) genes. Indeed, the cpb phylogenetic analysis allowed us to identify the Tunisian Leishmania killicki species, and a group which gathers the least evolved isolates of the Leishmania donovani complex, that was originated from East Africa. This clustering confirms the African origin for the visceralizing species of the L. donovani complex. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Targeting Leishmania amazonensis amastigotes through macrophage internalisation of a hydroxymethylnitrofurazone nanostructured polymeric system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monteiro, Lis Marie; Löbenberg, Raimar; Ferreira, Elizabeth Igne; Cotrim, Paulo Cesar; Kanashiro, Edite; Rocha, Mussya; Chung, Man Chin; Bou-Chacra, Nadia

    2017-07-01

    Dextran-coated poly (n-butyl cyanoacrylate) nanoparticles (PBCA-NPs) were prepared and were evaluated for enhanced delivery of a promising anti-Leishmania drug candidate, hydroxymethylnitrofurazone (NFOH), to phagocytic cells. Currently available chemotherapy for leishmaniasis, such as pentavalent antimonials, presents low safety and efficacy. Furthermore, widespread drug resistance in leishmaniasis is rapidly emerging. To overcome these drawbacks, the use of nanosized delivery systems can reduce systemic drug toxicity and increase the drug concentration in infected macrophages, therefore improving treatment of leishmaniasis. PBCA-NPs containing NFOH (PBCA-NFOH-NPs) were prepared by an anionic emulsion polymerisation method. The z-average and polydispersity index (PDI) were determined by photon correlation spectroscopy, the zeta potential by microelectrophoresis and the entrapment efficiency by HPLC. Cytotoxicity was determined using macrophages from BALB/c mice. Efficacy tests were performed using Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes and amastigotes. The z-average of PBCA-NFOH-NPs was 151.5 ± 61.97 nm, with a PDI of 0.104 ± 0.01, a zeta potential of -10.1 ± 6.49 mV and an entrapment efficiency of 64.47 ± 0.43%. Efficacy in amastigotes revealed IC 50 values of 0.33 µM and 31.2 µM for the nanostructured and free NFOH, respectively (95-fold increase). The cytotoxicity study indicated low toxicity of the PBCA-NFOH-NPs to macrophages. The selectivity index was 370.6, which is 49-fold higher than free NFOH (7.6). Such findings indicated that improved efficacy could be due to NP internalisation following site-specific drug delivery and reactivation of immune protective reactions by the NP components. Thus, PBCA-NFOH-NPs have the potential to significantly improve the treatment of leishmaniasis, with reduced systemic side effects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

  10. Novel Leishmania and Malaria Potassium Channels: Candidate Therapeutic Targets

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    McDonald, Thomas V

    2005-01-01

    .... major and T. cruzi). Using a combination of cultured mammalian cells and Xenopus oocytes for heterologous expression we have evidence that 2 channels from malaria [PFK1 & PFK22] and Leishmania [LMK1 & LMK2] generate K+...

  11. Leishmania carbon metabolism in the macrophage phagolysosome- feast or famine?

    Science.gov (United States)

    McConville, Malcolm J; Saunders, Eleanor C; Kloehn, Joachim; Dagley, Michael J

    2015-01-01

    A number of medically important microbial pathogens target and proliferate within macrophages and other phagocytic cells in their mammalian hosts. While the majority of these pathogens replicate within the host cell cytosol or non-hydrolytic vacuolar compartments, a few, including protists belonging to the genus Leishmania, proliferate long-term within mature lysosome compartments.  How these parasites achieve this feat remains poorly defined. In this review, we highlight recent studies that suggest that Leishmania virulence is intimately linked to programmed changes in the growth rate and carbon metabolism of the obligate intra-macrophage stages. We propose that activation of a slow growth and a stringent metabolic response confers resistance to multiple stresses (oxidative, temperature, pH), as well as both nutrient limitation and nutrient excess within this niche. These studies highlight the importance of metabolic processes as key virulence determinants in Leishmania.

  12. Amastin Knockdown in Leishmania braziliensis Affects Parasite-Macrophage Interaction and Results in Impaired Viability of Intracellular Amastigotes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rita Marcia Cardoso de Paiva

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Leishmaniasis, a human parasitic disease with manifestations ranging from cutaneous ulcerations to fatal visceral infection, is caused by several Leishmania species. These protozoan parasites replicate as extracellular, flagellated promastigotes in the gut of a sandfly vector and as amastigotes inside the parasitophorous vacuole of vertebrate host macrophages. Amastins are surface glycoproteins encoded by large gene families present in the genomes of several trypanosomatids and highly expressed in the intracellular amastigote stages of Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp. Here, we showed that the genome of L. braziliensis contains 52 amastin genes belonging to all four previously described amastin subfamilies and that the expression of members of all subfamilies is upregulated in L. braziliensis amastigotes. Although primary sequence alignments showed no homology to any known protein sequence, homology searches based on secondary structure predictions indicate that amastins are related to claudins, a group of proteins that are components of eukaryotic tight junction complexes. By knocking-down the expression of δ-amastins in L. braziliensis, their essential role during infection became evident. δ-amastin knockdown parasites showed impaired growth after in vitro infection of mouse macrophages and completely failed to produce infection when inoculated in BALB/c mice, an attenuated phenotype that was reverted by the re-expression of an RNAi-resistant amastin gene. Further highlighting their essential role in host-parasite interactions, electron microscopy analyses of macrophages infected with amastin knockdown parasites showed significant alterations in the tight contact that is normally observed between the surface of wild type amastigotes and the membrane of the parasitophorous vacuole.

  13. Direct detection of Leishmania from clinical samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waitumbi, John N; Bast, Joshua; Nyakoe, Nancy; Magiri, Charles; Quintana, Miguel; Takhampunya, Ratree; Schuster, Anthony L; Van de Wyngaerde, Marshall T; McAvin, James C; Coleman, Russell E

    2017-01-01

    The ability to rapidly and accurately diagnose leishmaniasis is a military priority. Testing was conducted to evaluate diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of field-expedient Leishmania genus and visceral Leishmania specific dual-fluorogenic, hydrolysis probe (TaqMan), polymerase chain reaction assays previously established for use in vector surveillance. Blood samples of patients with confirmed visceral leishmaniasis and controls without the disease from Baringo District, Kenya, were tested. Leishmania genus assay sensitivity was 100% (14/14) and specificity was 84% (16/19). Visceral Leishmania assay sensitivity was 93% (13/14) and specificity 80% (4/5). Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) skin scrapes of patients from Honduras were also evaluated. Leishmania genus assay sensitivity was 100% (10/10). Visceral Leishmania assay specificity was 100% (10/10) from cutaneous leishmaniasis samples; no fluorescence above background was reported. These results show promise in a rapid, sensitive, and specific method for Leishmania direct detection from clinical samples.

  14. Mitochondria and lipid raft-located FOF1-ATP synthase as major therapeutic targets in the antileishmanial and anticancer activities of ether lipid edelfosine.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janny A Villa-Pulgarín

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Leishmaniasis is the world's second deadliest parasitic disease after malaria, and current treatment of the different forms of this disease is far from satisfactory. Alkylphospholipid analogs (APLs are a family of anticancer drugs that show antileishmanial activity, including the first oral drug (miltefosine for leishmaniasis and drugs in preclinical/clinical oncology trials, but their precise mechanism of action remains to be elucidated.Here we show that the tumor cell apoptosis-inducer edelfosine was the most effective APL, as compared to miltefosine, perifosine and erucylphosphocholine, in killing Leishmania spp. promastigotes and amastigotes as well as tumor cells, as assessed by DNA breakdown determined by flow cytometry. In studies using animal models, we found that orally-administered edelfosine showed a potent in vivo antileishmanial activity and diminished macrophage pro-inflammatory responses. Edelfosine was also able to kill Leishmania axenic amastigotes. Edelfosine was taken up by host macrophages and killed intracellular Leishmania amastigotes in infected macrophages. Edelfosine accumulated in tumor cell mitochondria and Leishmania kinetoplast-mitochondrion, and led to mitochondrial transmembrane potential disruption, and to the successive breakdown of parasite mitochondrial and nuclear DNA. Ectopic expression of Bcl-XL inhibited edelfosine-induced cell death in both Leishmania parasites and tumor cells. We found that the cytotoxic activity of edelfosine against Leishmania parasites and tumor cells was associated with a dramatic recruitment of FOF1-ATP synthase into lipid rafts following edelfosine treatment in both parasites and cancer cells. Raft disruption and specific FOF1-ATP synthase inhibition hindered edelfosine-induced cell death in both Leishmania parasites and tumor cells. Genetic deletion of FOF1-ATP synthase led to edelfosine drug resistance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast.The present study shows that the

  15. A Historical Overview of the Classification, Evolution, and Dispersion of Leishmania Parasites and Sandflies.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Akhoundi

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study is to describe the major evolutionary historical events among Leishmania, sandflies, and the associated animal reservoirs in detail, in accordance with the geographical evolution of the Earth, which has not been previously discussed on a large scale.Leishmania and sandfly classification has always been a controversial matter, and the increasing number of species currently described further complicates this issue. Despite several hypotheses on the origin, evolution, and distribution of Leishmania and sandflies in the Old and New World, no consistent agreement exists regarding dissemination of the actors that play roles in leishmaniasis. For this purpose, we present here three centuries of research on sandflies and Leishmania descriptions, as well as a complete description of Leishmania and sandfly fossils and the emergence date of each Leishmania and sandfly group during different geographical periods, from 550 million years ago until now. We discuss critically the different approaches that were used for Leishmana and sandfly classification and their synonymies, proposing an updated classification for each species of Leishmania and sandfly. We update information on the current distribution and dispersion of different species of Leishmania (53, sandflies (more than 800 at genus or subgenus level, and animal reservoirs in each of the following geographical ecozones: Palearctic, Nearctic, Neotropic, Afrotropical, Oriental, Malagasy, and Australian. We propose an updated list of the potential and proven sandfly vectors for each Leishmania species in the Old and New World. Finally, we address a classical question about digenetic Leishmania evolution: which was the first host, a vertebrate or an invertebrate?We propose an updated view of events that have played important roles in the geographical dispersion of sandflies, in relation to both the Leishmania species they transmit and the animal reservoirs of the parasites.

  16. A Historical Overview of the Classification, Evolution, and Dispersion of Leishmania Parasites and Sandflies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akhoundi, Mohammad; Kuhls, Katrin; Cannet, Arnaud; Votýpka, Jan; Marty, Pierre; Delaunay, Pascal; Sereno, Denis

    2016-01-01

    Background The aim of this study is to describe the major evolutionary historical events among Leishmania, sandflies, and the associated animal reservoirs in detail, in accordance with the geographical evolution of the Earth, which has not been previously discussed on a large scale. Methodology and Principal Findings Leishmania and sandfly classification has always been a controversial matter, and the increasing number of species currently described further complicates this issue. Despite several hypotheses on the origin, evolution, and distribution of Leishmania and sandflies in the Old and New World, no consistent agreement exists regarding dissemination of the actors that play roles in leishmaniasis. For this purpose, we present here three centuries of research on sandflies and Leishmania descriptions, as well as a complete description of Leishmania and sandfly fossils and the emergence date of each Leishmania and sandfly group during different geographical periods, from 550 million years ago until now. We discuss critically the different approaches that were used for Leishmana and sandfly classification and their synonymies, proposing an updated classification for each species of Leishmania and sandfly. We update information on the current distribution and dispersion of different species of Leishmania (53), sandflies (more than 800 at genus or subgenus level), and animal reservoirs in each of the following geographical ecozones: Palearctic, Nearctic, Neotropic, Afrotropical, Oriental, Malagasy, and Australian. We propose an updated list of the potential and proven sandfly vectors for each Leishmania species in the Old and New World. Finally, we address a classical question about digenetic Leishmania evolution: which was the first host, a vertebrate or an invertebrate? Conclusions and Significance We propose an updated view of events that have played important roles in the geographical dispersion of sandflies, in relation to both the Leishmania species they

  17. A Historical Overview of the Classification, Evolution, and Dispersion of Leishmania Parasites and Sandflies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akhoundi, Mohammad; Kuhls, Katrin; Cannet, Arnaud; Votýpka, Jan; Marty, Pierre; Delaunay, Pascal; Sereno, Denis

    2016-03-01

    The aim of this study is to describe the major evolutionary historical events among Leishmania, sandflies, and the associated animal reservoirs in detail, in accordance with the geographical evolution of the Earth, which has not been previously discussed on a large scale. Leishmania and sandfly classification has always been a controversial matter, and the increasing number of species currently described further complicates this issue. Despite several hypotheses on the origin, evolution, and distribution of Leishmania and sandflies in the Old and New World, no consistent agreement exists regarding dissemination of the actors that play roles in leishmaniasis. For this purpose, we present here three centuries of research on sandflies and Leishmania descriptions, as well as a complete description of Leishmania and sandfly fossils and the emergence date of each Leishmania and sandfly group during different geographical periods, from 550 million years ago until now. We discuss critically the different approaches that were used for Leishmana and sandfly classification and their synonymies, proposing an updated classification for each species of Leishmania and sandfly. We update information on the current distribution and dispersion of different species of Leishmania (53), sandflies (more than 800 at genus or subgenus level), and animal reservoirs in each of the following geographical ecozones: Palearctic, Nearctic, Neotropic, Afrotropical, Oriental, Malagasy, and Australian. We propose an updated list of the potential and proven sandfly vectors for each Leishmania species in the Old and New World. Finally, we address a classical question about digenetic Leishmania evolution: which was the first host, a vertebrate or an invertebrate? We propose an updated view of events that have played important roles in the geographical dispersion of sandflies, in relation to both the Leishmania species they transmit and the animal reservoirs of the parasites.

  18. Neutrophils reduce the parasite burden in Leishmania (Leishmania amazonensis-infected macrophages.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erico Vinícius de Souza Carmo

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Studies on the role of neutrophils in Leishmania infection were mainly performed with L. (L major, whereas less information is available for L. (L amazonensis. Previous results from our laboratory showed a large infiltrate of neutrophils in the site of infection in a mouse strain resistant to L. (L. amazonensis (C3H/HePas. In contrast, the susceptible strain (BALB/c displayed a predominance of macrophages harboring a high number of amastigotes and very few neutrophils. These findings led us to investigate the interaction of inflammatory neutrophils with L. (L. amazonensis-infected macrophages in vitro.Mouse peritoneal macrophages infected with L. (L. amazonensis were co-cultured with inflammatory neutrophils, and after four days, the infection was quantified microscopically. Data are representative of three experiments with similar results. The main findings were 1 intracellular parasites were efficiently destroyed in the co-cultures; 2 the leishmanicidal effect was similar when cells were obtained from mouse strains resistant (C3H/HePas or susceptible (BALB/c to L. (L. amazonensis; 3 parasite destruction did not require contact between infected macrophages and neutrophils; 4 tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α, neutrophil elastase and platelet activating factor (PAF were involved with the leishmanicidal activity, and 5 destruction of the parasites did not depend on generation of oxygen or nitrogen radicals, indicating that parasite clearance did not involve the classical pathway of macrophage activation by TNF-α, as reported for other Leishmania species.The present results provide evidence that neutrophils in concert with macrophages play a previously unrecognized leishmanicidal effect on L. (L. amazonensis. We believe these findings may help to understand the mechanisms involved in innate immunity in cutaneous infection by this Leishmania species.

  19. The use of kDNA minicircle subclass relative abundance to differentiate between Leishmania (L.) infantum and Leishmania (L.) amazonensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ceccarelli, Marcello; Galluzzi, Luca; Diotallevi, Aurora; Andreoni, Francesca; Fowler, Hailie; Petersen, Christine; Vitale, Fabrizio; Magnani, Mauro

    2017-05-16

    Leishmaniasis is a neglected disease caused by many Leishmania species, belonging to subgenera Leishmania (Leishmania) and Leishmania (Viannia). Several qPCR-based molecular diagnostic approaches have been reported for detection and quantification of Leishmania species. Many of these approaches use the kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) minicircles as the target sequence. These assays had potential cross-species amplification, due to sequence similarity between Leishmania species. Previous works demonstrated discrimination between L. (Leishmania) and L. (Viannia) by SYBR green-based qPCR assays designed on kDNA, followed by melting or high-resolution melt (HRM) analysis. Importantly, these approaches cannot fully distinguish L. (L.) infantum from L. (L.) amazonensis, which can coexist in the same geographical area. DNA from 18 strains/isolates of L. (L.) infantum, L. (L.) amazonensis, L. (V.) braziliensis, L. (V.) panamensis, L. (V.) guyanensis, and 62 clinical samples from L. (L.) infantum-infected dogs were amplified by a previously developed qPCR (qPCR-ML) and subjected to HRM analysis; selected PCR products were sequenced using an ABI PRISM 310 Genetic Analyzer. Based on the obtained sequences, a new SYBR-green qPCR assay (qPCR-ama) intended to amplify a minicircle subclass more abundant in L. (L.) amazonensis was designed. The qPCR-ML followed by HRM analysis did not allow discrimination between L. (L.) amazonensis and L. (L.) infantum in 53.4% of cases. Hence, the novel SYBR green-based qPCR (qPCR-ama) has been tested. This assay achieved a detection limit of 0.1 pg of parasite DNA in samples spiked with host DNA and did not show cross amplification with Trypanosoma cruzi or host DNA. Although the qPCR-ama also amplified L. (L.) infantum strains, the C q values were dramatically increased compared to qPCR-ML. Therefore, the combined analysis of C q values from qPCR-ML and qPCR-ama allowed to distinguish L. (L.) infantum and L. (L.) amazonensis in 100% of tested samples

  20. The diverse and dynamic nature of Leishmania parasitophorous vacuoles studied by multidimensional imaging.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernando Real

    Full Text Available An important area in the cell biology of intracellular parasitism is the customization of parasitophorous vacuoles (PVs by prokaryotic or eukaryotic intracellular microorganisms. We were curious to compare PV biogenesis in primary mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages exposed to carefully prepared amastigotes of either Leishmania major or L. amazonensis. While tight-fitting PVs are housing one or two L. major amastigotes, giant PVs are housing many L. amazonensis amastigotes. In this study, using multidimensional imaging of live cells, we compare and characterize the PV biogenesis/remodeling of macrophages i hosting amastigotes of either L. major or L. amazonensis and ii loaded with Lysotracker, a lysosomotropic fluorescent probe. Three dynamic features of Leishmania amastigote-hosting PVs are documented: they range from i entry of Lysotracker transients within tight-fitting, fission-prone L. major amastigote-housing PVs; ii the decrease in the number of macrophage acidic vesicles during the L. major PV fission or L. amazonensis PV enlargement; to iii the L. amazonensis PV remodeling after homotypic fusion. The high content information of multidimensional images allowed the updating of our understanding of the Leishmania species-specific differences in PV biogenesis/remodeling and could be useful for the study of other intracellular microorganisms.

  1. Impact of Leishmania metalloprotease GP63 on macrophage signaling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isnard, Amandine; Shio, Marina T.; Olivier, Martin

    2012-01-01

    The intramacrophage protozoan parasites of Leishmania genus have developed sophisticated ways to subvert the innate immune response permitting their infection and propagation within the macrophages of the mammalian host. Several Leishmania virulence factors have been identified and found to be of importance for the development of leishmaniasis. However, recent findings are now further reinforcing the critical role played by the zinc-metalloprotease GP63 as a virulence factor that greatly influence host cell signaling mechanisms and related functions. GP63 has been found to be involved not only in the cleavage and degradation of various kinases and transcription factors, but also to be the major molecule modulating host negative regulatory mechanisms involving for instance protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs). Those latter being well recognized for their pivotal role in the regulation of a great number of signaling pathways. In this review article, we are providing a complete overview about the role of Leishmania GP63 in the mechanisms underlying the subversion of macrophage signaling and functions. PMID:22919663

  2. First evidence of autochthonous cases of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum in horse (Equus caballus) in the Americas and mixed infection of Leishmania infantum and Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soares, Isabel R; Silva, Soraia O; Moreira, Filipe Moraghi; Prado, Luan Gavião; Fantini, Priscila; Maranhão, Renata de Pino Albuquerque; da Silva Filho, José Monteiro; Melo, Maria Norma; Palhares, Maristela S

    2013-11-08

    This study reports the first evidence of infection by Leishmania infantum in Equus caballus in Americas and the first mixed infection of L. infantum/Leishmania braziliensis on this mammalian species in the world. The diagnoses was based on presence of parasites in lesions and bone marrow aspirates, their identification by using specific primers for L. infantum and L. braziliensis complexes and also serological methods IFAT and ELISA. The analysis of the PCR products suggested mixed infection in three animals. Further studies involving equine leishmaniasis are carrying out in order to clarify the dynamic of Leishmania sp. in this mammalian specie and their role in the transmission of those parasites in urban endemic area of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Specificity of the trypanothione-dependent Leishmania major glyoxalase I: structure and biochemical comparison with the human enzyme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ariza, Antonio; Vickers, Tim J; Greig, Neil; Armour, Kirsten A; Dixon, Mark J; Eggleston, Ian M; Fairlamb, Alan H; Bond, Charles S

    2006-02-01

    Trypanothione replaces glutathione in defence against cellular damage caused by oxidants, xenobiotics and methylglyoxal in the trypanosomatid parasites, which cause trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis. In Leishmania major, the first step in methylglyoxal detoxification is performed by a trypanothione-dependent glyoxalase I (GLO1) containing a nickel cofactor; all other characterized eukaryotic glyoxalases use zinc. In kinetic studies L. major and human enzymes were active with methylglyoxal derivatives of several thiols, but showed opposite substrate selectivities: N1-glutathionylspermidine hemithioacetal is 40-fold better with L. major GLO1, whereas glutathione hemithioacetal is 300-fold better with human GLO1. Similarly, S-4-bromobenzylglutathionylspermidine is a 24-fold more potent linear competitive inhibitor of L. major than human GLO1 (Kis of 0.54 microM and 12.6 microM, respectively), whereas S-4-bromobenzylglutathione is >4000-fold more active against human than L. major GLO1 (Kis of 0.13 microM and >500 microM respectively). The crystal structure of L. major GLO1 reveals differences in active site architecture to both human GLO1 and the nickel-dependent Escherichia coli GLO1, including increased negative charge and hydrophobic character and truncation of a loop that may regulate catalysis in the human enzyme. These differences correlate with the differential binding of glutathione and trypanothione-based substrates, and thus offer a route to the rational design of L. major-specific GLO1 inhibitors.

  4. Antigen Requirements for Efficient Priming of CD8+ T Cells by Leishmania major-Infected Dendritic Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertholet, Sylvie; Debrabant, Alain; Afrin, Farhat; Caler, Elisabeth; Mendez, Susana; Tabbara, Khaled S.; Belkaid, Yasmine; Sacks, David L.

    2005-01-01

    CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses have been shown to be critical for the development and maintenance of acquired resistance to infections with the protozoan parasite Leishmania major. Monitoring the development of immunodominant or clonally restricted T-cell subsets in response to infection has been difficult, however, due to the paucity of known epitopes. We have analyzed the potential of L. major transgenic parasites, expressing the model antigen ovalbumin (OVA), to be presented by antigen-presenting cells to OVA-specific OT-II CD4+ or OT-I CD8+ T cells. Truncated OVA was expressed in L. major as part of a secreted or nonsecreted chimeric protein with L. donovani 3′ nucleotidase (NT-OVA). Dendritic cells (DC) but not macrophages infected with L. major that secreted NT-OVA could prime OT-I T cells to proliferate and release gamma interferon. A diminished T-cell response was observed when DC were infected with parasites expressing nonsecreted NT-OVA or with heat-killed parasites. Inoculation of mice with transgenic parasites elicited the proliferation of adoptively transferred OT-I T cells and their recruitment to the site of infection in the skin. Together, these results demonstrate the possibility of targeting heterologous antigens to specific cellular compartments in L. major and suggest that proteins secreted or released by L. major in infected DC are a major source of peptides for the generation of parasite-specific CD8+ T cells. The ability of L. major transgenic parasites to activate OT-I CD8+ T cells in vivo will permit the analysis of parasite-driven T-cell expansion, differentiation, and recruitment at the clonal level. PMID:16177338

  5. Unraveling the genetic diversity and phylogeny of Leishmania RNA virus 1 strains of infected Leishmania isolates circulating in French Guiana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tirera, Sourakhata; Ginouves, Marine; Donato, Damien; Caballero, Ignacio S; Bouchier, Christiane; Lavergne, Anne; Bourreau, Eliane; Mosnier, Emilie; Vantilcke, Vincent; Couppié, Pierre; Prevot, Ghislaine; Lacoste, Vincent

    2017-07-01

    Leishmania RNA virus type 1 (LRV1) is an endosymbiont of some Leishmania (Vianna) species in South America. Presence of LRV1 in parasites exacerbates disease severity in animal models and humans, related to a disproportioned innate immune response, and is correlated with drug treatment failures in humans. Although the virus was identified decades ago, its genomic diversity has been overlooked until now. We subjected LRV1 strains from 19 L. (V.) guyanensis and one L. (V.) braziliensis isolates obtained from cutaneous leishmaniasis samples identified throughout French Guiana with next-generation sequencing and de novo sequence assembly. We generated and analyzed 24 unique LRV1 sequences over their full-length coding regions. Multiple alignment of these new sequences revealed variability (0.5%-23.5%) across the entire sequence except for highly conserved motifs within the 5' untranslated region. Phylogenetic analyses showed that viral genomes of L. (V.) guyanensis grouped into five distinct clusters. They further showed a species-dependent clustering between viral genomes of L. (V.) guyanensis and L. (V.) braziliensis, confirming a long-term co-evolutionary history. Noteworthy, we identified cases of multiple LRV1 infections in three of the 20 Leishmania isolates. Here, we present the first-ever estimate of LRV1 genomic diversity that exists in Leishmania (V.) guyanensis parasites. Genetic characterization and phylogenetic analyses of these viruses has shed light on their evolutionary relationships. To our knowledge, this study is also the first to report cases of multiple LRV1 infections in some parasites. Finally, this work has made it possible to develop molecular tools for adequate identification and genotyping of LRV1 strains for diagnostic purposes. Given the suspected worsening role of LRV1 infection in the pathogenesis of human leishmaniasis, these data have a major impact from a clinical viewpoint and for the management of Leishmania-infected patients.

  6. Importing statistical measures into Artemis enhances gene identification in the Leishmania genome project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    McDonagh Paul D

    2003-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Seattle Biomedical Research Institute (SBRI as part of the Leishmania Genome Network (LGN is sequencing chromosomes of the trypanosomatid protozoan species Leishmania major. At SBRI, chromosomal sequence is annotated using a combination of trained and untrained non-consensus gene-prediction algorithms with ARTEMIS, an annotation platform with rich and user-friendly interfaces. Results Here we describe a methodology used to import results from three different protein-coding gene-prediction algorithms (GLIMMER, TESTCODE and GENESCAN into the ARTEMIS sequence viewer and annotation tool. Comparison of these methods, along with the CODONUSAGE algorithm built into ARTEMIS, shows the importance of combining methods to more accurately annotate the L. major genomic sequence. Conclusion An improvised and powerful tool for gene prediction has been developed by importing data from widely-used algorithms into an existing annotation platform. This approach is especially fruitful in the Leishmania genome project where there is large proportion of novel genes requiring manual annotation.

  7. Clinical Efficacy Associated with Enhanced Antioxidant Enzyme Activities of Silver Nanoparticles Biosynthesized Using Moringa oleifera Leaf Extract, Against Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in a Murine Model of Leishmania major.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Khadragy, Manal; Alolayan, Ebtesam M; Metwally, Dina M; El-Din, Mohamed F Serag; Alobud, Sara S; Alsultan, Nour I; Alsaif, Sarah S; Awad, Manal A; Abdel Moneim, Ahmed E

    2018-05-22

    Leishmaniasis is one of the most significant vector-borne syndromes of individuals. This parasitic infection can be affected by many species of Leishmania, most of which are zoonotic. Natural products have made and are continuing to make important contributions to the search for new antileishmanial agents. The use of plants in the production assembly of silver nanoparticles has drawn attention because of its rapid, eco-friendly, non-pathogenic, economical protocol and provides a single step technique for the biosynthetic process. Hence, we aimed to biosynthesize silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) using Moringa oleifera leaf extract and investigated the antileishmanial activity of these nanoparticles in a murine model of Leishmania major infection. A total of 50 mice were used and divided into five groups-healthy control, infected, infected mice treated with pentostam, infected mice treated with Ag-NPs and infected mice pretreated with Ag-NPs. In the present study, the leaf extract of the plant species Moringa oleifera was found to be a good source for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles, their formation being confirmed by color change and stability in solution. In the present murine model of Leishmania major infection, we found that oral treatment with silver nanoparticles biosynthesized using Moringa oleifera extract resulted in a significant reduction in the average size of leishmaniasis cutaneous lesions compared with untreated mice. Furthermore, the clinical efficacy of Moringa oleifera extract was associated with enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities. In conclusion, treatment with silver nanoparticles biosynthesized using Moringa oleifera extract has higher and faster clinical efficacy than standard pentavalent antimonial treatment, probably by boosting the endogenous antioxidant activity.

  8. Evaluation of the leishmanicidal activity of plants used by Peruvian Chayahuita ethnic group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Estevez, Y; Castillo, D; Pisango, M Tangoa; Arevalo, J; Rojas, R; Alban, J; Deharo, E; Bourdy, G; Sauvain, M

    2007-11-01

    A total of 27 ethanolic plant extracts from 27 species were screened for leishmanicidal activity in vitro against Leishmania amazonensis. Most of the selected species (19) are traditionally used by the Chayahuitas, an Amazonian Peruvian ethnic group, to treat skin affections and/or leishmaniasis. A colorimetric method based on the reduction of tetrazolium salt (MTT) was used to measure the viability of Leishmania amazonensis promastigote and amastigote stages. Only the leaves of two species of the Piperaceae family (Piper hispidum Sw., and Piper strigosum Trel.) showed good leishmanicidal activities (IC(50)Cycadaceae) showed low activity against amastigote stage (IC(50) around 50 microg/ml). Of those only Tabernaemontana sananho displayed also good activity on promastigotes (IC(50)<10 microg/ml). Results are discussed herein, in relation with the traditional use of the plants and compared with other data from the relevant literature.

  9. Combined effect of the essential oil from Chenopodium ambrosioides and antileishmanial drugs on promastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis Efeito combinado do óleo de essência de Chenopodium ambrosioides e drogas anti-leishmaniose nos promastigotas de Leishmania amazonensis

    OpenAIRE

    Lianet Monzote; Ana Margarita Montalvo; Ramón Scull; Migdalia Miranda; Juan Abreu

    2007-01-01

    To date, there are no vaccines against Leishmania, and chemotherapy remains the mainstay for the control of leishmaniasis. The drugs of choice used for leishmaniasis therapy are significantly toxic, expensive and with a growing frequency of refractory infections. Because of these limitations, a combination therapy is the better hope. This work demonstrates that the essential oil from Chenopodium ambrosioides shows a synergic activity after incubation in conjunction with pentamidine against pr...

  10. Leishmania-specific surface antigens show sub-genus sequence variation and immune recognition.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel P Depledge

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available A family of hydrophilic acylated surface (HASP proteins, containing extensive and variant amino acid repeats, is expressed at the plasma membrane in infective extracellular (metacyclic and intracellular (amastigote stages of Old World Leishmania species. While HASPs are antigenic in the host and can induce protective immune responses, the biological functions of these Leishmania-specific proteins remain unresolved. Previous genome analysis has suggested that parasites of the sub-genus Leishmania (Viannia have lost HASP genes from their genomes.We have used molecular and cellular methods to analyse HASP expression in New World Leishmania mexicana complex species and show that, unlike in L. major, these proteins are expressed predominantly following differentiation into amastigotes within macrophages. Further genome analysis has revealed that the L. (Viannia species, L. (V. braziliensis, does express HASP-like proteins of low amino acid similarity but with similar biochemical characteristics, from genes present on a region of chromosome 23 that is syntenic with the HASP/SHERP locus in Old World Leishmania species and the L. (L. mexicana complex. A related gene is also present in Leptomonas seymouri and this may represent the ancestral copy of these Leishmania-genus specific sequences. The L. braziliensis HASP-like proteins (named the orthologous (o HASPs are predominantly expressed on the plasma membrane in amastigotes and are recognised by immune sera taken from 4 out of 6 leishmaniasis patients tested in an endemic region of Brazil. Analysis of the repetitive domains of the oHASPs has shown considerable genetic variation in parasite isolates taken from the same patients, suggesting that antigenic change may play a role in immune recognition of this protein family.These findings confirm that antigenic hydrophilic acylated proteins are expressed from genes in the same chromosomal region in species across the genus Leishmania. These proteins are

  11. A Computational Methodology to Overcome the Challenges Associated With the Search for Specific Enzyme Targets to Develop Drugs Against Leishmania major.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Catharina, Larissa; Lima, Carlyle Ribeiro; Franca, Alexander; Guimarães, Ana Carolina Ramos; Alves-Ferreira, Marcelo; Tuffery, Pierre; Derreumaux, Philippe; Carels, Nicolas

    2017-01-01

    We present an approach for detecting enzymes that are specific of Leishmania major compared with Homo sapiens and provide targets that may assist research in drug development. This approach is based on traditional techniques of sequence homology comparison by similarity search and Markov modeling; it integrates the characterization of enzymatic functionality, secondary and tertiary protein structures, protein domain architecture, and metabolic environment. From 67 enzymes represented by 42 enzymatic activities classified by AnEnPi (Analogous Enzymes Pipeline) as specific for L major compared with H sapiens , only 40 (23 Enzyme Commission [EC] numbers) could actually be considered as strictly specific of L major and 27 enzymes (19 EC numbers) were disregarded for having ambiguous homologies or analogies with H sapiens . Among the 40 strictly specific enzymes, we identified sterol 24-C-methyltransferase, pyruvate phosphate dikinase, trypanothione synthetase, and RNA-editing ligase as 4 essential enzymes for L major that may serve as targets for drug development.

  12. Conditions Influencing the Efficacy of Vaccination with Live Organisms against Leishmania major Infection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tabbara, Khaled S.; Peters, Nathan C.; Afrin, Farhat; Mendez, Susana; Bertholet, Sylvie; Belkaid, Yasmine; Sacks, David L.

    2005-01-01

    Numerous experimental vaccines have been developed with the goal of generating long-term cell-mediated immunity to the obligate intracellular parasite Leishmania major, yet inoculation with live, wild-type L. major remains the only successful vaccine in humans. We examined the expression of immunity at the site of secondary, low-dose challenge in the ear dermis to determine the kinetics of parasite clearance and the early events associated with the protection conferred by vaccination with live L. major organisms in C57BL/6 mice. Particular attention was given to the route of vaccination. We observed that the rapidity, strength, and durability of the memory response following subcutaneous vaccination with live parasites in the footpad are even greater than previously appreciated. Antigen-specific gamma interferon (IFN-γ)-producing T cells infiltrate the secondary site by 1.5 weeks, and viable parasites are cleared as early as 2.5 weeks following rechallenge, followed by a rapid drop in IFN-γ+ CD4+ cell numbers in the site. In comparison, intradermal vaccination with live parasites in the ear generates immunity that is delayed in effector cell recruitment to the rechallenge site and in the clearance of parasites from the site. This compromised immunity was associated with a rapid recruitment of interleukin-10 (IL-10)-producing CD4+ T cells to the rechallenge site. Treatment with anti-IL-10-receptor or anti-CD25 antibody enhanced early parasite clearance in ear-vaccinated mice, indicating that chronic infection in the skin generates a population of regulatory cells capable of influencing the level of resistance to reinfection. A delicate balance of effector and regulatory T cells may be required to optimize the potency and durability of vaccines against Leishmaniasis and other intracellular pathogens. PMID:16040984

  13. The predictive validity of naturally acquired delayed-type hypersensitivity to leishmanin in resistance to Leishmania major-associated cutaneous leishmaniasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben Salah, Afif; Louzir, Hechmi; Chlif, Sadok; Mokni, Mourad; Zaatour, Amor; Raouene, Mohamed; Ismail, Riadh Ben; Dellagi, Koussay

    2005-12-01

    To accurately quantify the different outcomes of Leishmania major infection and to evaluate the fraction of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) cases prevented by naturally acquired leishmanin skin test (LST) reactivity, a cohort of 470 children was followed up in 2 endemic foci, Remada and Dhiba, in southern Tunisia. During May 1997, before the ZCL emergence season, LST was performed, and results were reassessed 12 months later. Active case detection during the ZCL emergence season showed a high incidence of ZCL: 57.0% in Remada and 13.7% in Dhiba. The preventive fraction of ZCL conferred by LST reactivity increased proportionally with the reaction size before the emergence season, revealing a dose-response effect of approximately 70%. In addition, asymptomatic L. major infection appeared to be a significant form of natural immunization, particularly in the context of relatively low transmission. These findings may help in the design and evaluation of vaccines.

  14. DSFL database: A hub of target proteins of Leishmania sp. to combat leishmaniasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ameer Khusro

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne chronic infectious tropical dermal disease caused by the protozoa parasite of the genus Leishmania that causes high mortality globally. Among three different clinical forms of leishmaniasis, visceral leishmaniasis (VL or kala-azar is a systemic public health disease with high morbidity and mortality in developing countries, caused by Leishmania donovani, Leishmania infantum or Leishmania chagasi. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine available till date for the treatment of leishmaniasis. On the other hand, the therapeutics approved to treat this fatal disease is expensive, toxic, and associated with serious side effects. Furthermore, the emergence of drug-resistant Leishmania parasites in most endemic countries due to the incessant utilization of existing drugs is a major concern at present. Drug Search for Leishmaniasis (DSFL is a unique database that involves 50 crystallized target proteins of varied Leishmania sp. in order to develop new drugs in future by interacting several antiparasitic compounds or molecules with specific protein through computational tools. The structure of target protein from different Leishmania sp. is available in this database. In this review, we spotlighted not only the current global status of leishmaniasis in brief but also detailed information about target proteins of various Leishmania sp. available in DSFL. DSFL has created a new expectation for mankind in order to combat leishmaniasis by targeting parasitic proteins and commence a new era to get rid of drug resistance parasites. The database will substantiate to be a worthwhile project for further development of new, non-toxic, and cost-effective antileishmanial drugs as targeted therapies using in vitro/in vivo assays.

  15. Molecular detection of Leishmania infantum and Leishmania tropica in rodent species from endemic cutaneous leishmaniasis areas in Morocco.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Echchakery, Mohamed; Chicharro, Carmen; Boussaa, Samia; Nieto, Javier; Carrillo, Eugenia; Sheila, Ortega; Moreno, Javier; Boumezzough, Ali

    2017-10-02

    Leishmaniasis remains a major public health problem in African nations, including Morocco, where little is known about the vertebrate reservoirs involved in the causal parasites' transmission cycles. The present study investigates the role of rodent species as potential reservoirs of Leishmania spp. in central Morocco, where both L. tropica and L. infantum have been reported. Rodents were caught from 22 sites in central Morocco, by using Sherman metal traps, and identified morphologically. For each specimen, genomic DNA was extracted from different tissues using the Speed Tools DNA extraction Kit. Then, samples were PCR-analyzed, targeting the SSU rRNA gene to detect Leishmania spp. DNA, followed by amplification of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and its sequencing to identify the species. A total of 197 rodents belonging to ten species were captured and identified: Rattus rattus (40.61%), Mus musculus (25.38%), Apodemus sylvaticus (8.63%), Mus spretus (7.11%), Meriones shawi (5.58%), Rattus norvegicus (4.57%), Meriones libycus (3.05%), Mastomys erythroleucus (2.03%), Gerbillus campestris (2.03%) and Lemniscomys barbarus (1.01%). Molecular analysis revealed the presence of Leishmania species in 18 specimens: six R. rattus (out of 80 captured; 7.5%), 11 M. musculus (out of 50 captured; 22%), and one R. norvegicus (out of 9 captured; 11.11%). To the best of our knowledge, L. infantum and L. tropica were identified in rodent species for the first time in Morocco. These findings suggest that rodent species may be involved in L. infantum and L. tropica transmission cycles in this country but that further studies are needed to confirm their role as reservoirs of Leishmania species in Morocco.

  16. An Insight into the proteome of Crithidia fasciculata choanomastigotes as a comparative approach to axenic growth, peanut lectin agglutination and differentiation of Leishmania spp. promastigotes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro J Alcolea

    Full Text Available The life cycle of the trypanosomatid Crithidia fasciculata is monogenetic, as the unique hosts of these parasites are different species of culicids. The comparison of these non-pathogenic microorganisms evolutionary close to other species of trypanosomatids that develop digenetic life cycles and cause chronic severe sickness to millions of people worldwide is of outstanding interest. A ground-breaking analysis of differential protein abundance in Crithidia fasciculata is reported herein. The comparison of the outcome with previous gene expression profiling studies developed in the related human pathogens of the genus Leishmania has revealed substantial differences between the motile stages of these closely related organisms in abundance of proteins involved in catabolism, redox homeostasis, intracellular signalling, and gene expression regulation. As L. major and L. infantum agglutinate with peanut lectin and non-agglutinating parasites are more infective, the agglutination properties were evaluated in C. fasciculata. The result is that choanomastigotes are able to agglutinate with peanut lectin and a non-agglutinating subpopulation can be also isolated. As a difference with L. infantum, the non-agglutinating subpopulation over-expresses the whole machinery for maintenance of redox homeostasis and the translation factors eIF5a, EF1α and EF2, what suggests a relationship between the lack of agglutination and a differentiation process.

  17. Antileishmanial potential of medicinal plant extracts from the North-West of Morocco

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdelhakim Bouyahya

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study is to evaluate the antileishmanial activity of selected medicinal plants from the North-West of Morocco. Plant extracts were prepared by maceration using methanol, ethanol, and n-hexane. The antileishmanial activity was evaluated against Leishmania major, Leishmania tropica, and Leishmania infantum using MTT (3-(4.5-dimethylthiazol-2yl-2.5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. All plant extracts showed a reducing in cell promastigotes viability with variability depending on tested strains and type of extracts. The n-hexane extract showed the highest antileishmanial activity and L. infantum was the most sensitive parasite. The best growth inhibition was observed with Cistus crispus n-hexane extract against L. major (IC50 = 47.29 ± 2.25 μg/mL, Arbutus unedo n-hexane extract against L. infantum (IC50 = 64.05 ± 1.44 μg/mL and Arbutus unedo n-hexane extract against L. tropica (IC50 = 79.57 ± 2.66 μg/mL. Considering these results, medicinal plants from the North-West of Morocco could constitute a promoter source for antileishmanial compounds.

  18. Serodiagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis: assessment of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using a peptide sequence from gene B protein

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, A T; Gaafar, A; Ismail, A

    1996-01-01

    An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a 28 amino acid sequence of the repetitive element of gene B protein (GBP) from Leishmania major was developed for serodiagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). The assay was compared to ELISAs using crude amastigote and promastigote antigens from...... samples from healthy Sudanese individuals living in an area endemic for malaria but free of leish-maniasis were negative in all the assays. Significantly higher levels of antibodies were found in the patients who had suffered from the disease for more than eight weeks than in patients with a shorter...

  19. Dectin-1 Positive Dendritic Cells Expand after Infection with Leishmania major Parasites and Represent Promising Targets for Vaccine Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zimara, Nicole; Chanyalew, Menberework; Aseffa, Abraham; van Zandbergen, Ger; Lepenies, Bernd; Schmid, Maximilian; Weiss, Richard; Rascle, Anne; Wege, Anja Kathrin; Jantsch, Jonathan; Schatz, Valentin; Brown, Gordon D.; Ritter, Uwe

    2018-01-01

    Resistant mouse strains mount a protective T cell-mediated immune response upon infection with Leishmania (L.) parasites. Healing correlates with a T helper (Th) cell-type 1 response characterized by a pronounced IFN-γ production, while susceptibility is associated with an IL-4-dependent Th2-type response. It has been shown that dermal dendritic cells are crucial for inducing protective Th1-mediated immunity. Additionally, there is growing evidence that C-type lectin receptor (CLR)-mediated signaling is involved in directing adaptive immunity against pathogens. However, little is known about the function of the CLR Dectin-1 in modulating Th1- or Th2-type immune responses by DC subsets in leishmaniasis. We characterized the expression of Dectin-1 on CD11c+ DCs in peripheral blood, at the site of infection, and skin-draining lymph nodes of L. major-infected C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice and in peripheral blood of patients suffering from cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Both mouse strains responded with an expansion of Dectin-1+ DCs within the analyzed tissues. In accordance with the experimental model, Dectin-1+ DCs expanded as well in the peripheral blood of CL patients. To study the role of Dectin-1+ DCs in adaptive immunity against L. major, we analyzed the T cell stimulating potential of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) in the presence of the Dectin-1 agonist Curdlan. These experiments revealed that Curdlan induces the maturation of BMDCs and the expansion of Leishmania-specific CD4+ T cells. Based on these findings, we evaluated the impact of Curdlan/Dectin-1 interactions in experimental leishmaniasis and were able to demonstrate that the presence of Curdlan at the site of infection modulates the course of disease in BALB/c mice: wild-type BALB/c mice treated intradermally with Curdlan developed a protective immune response against L. major whereas Dectin-1−/− BALB/c mice still developed the fatal course of disease after Curdlan treatment. Furthermore

  20. Detection of Leishmania RNA virus in Leishmania parasites.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haroun Zangger

    Full Text Available Patients suffering from cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL caused by New World Leishmania (Viannia species are at high risk of developing mucosal (ML or disseminated cutaneous leishmaniasis (DCL. After the formation of a primary skin lesion at the site of the bite by a Leishmania-infected sand fly, the infection can disseminate to form secondary lesions. This metastatic phenotype causes significant morbidity and is often associated with a hyper-inflammatory immune response leading to the destruction of nasopharyngeal tissues in ML, and appearance of nodules or numerous ulcerated skin lesions in DCL. Recently, we connected this aggressive phenotype to the presence of Leishmania RNA virus (LRV in strains of L. guyanensis, showing that LRV is responsible for elevated parasitaemia, destructive hyper-inflammation and an overall exacerbation of the disease. Further studies of this relationship and the distribution of LRVs in other Leishmania strains and species would benefit from improved methods of viral detection and quantitation, especially ones not dependent on prior knowledge of the viral sequence as LRVs show significant evolutionary divergence.This study reports various techniques, among which, the use of an anti-dsRNA monoclonal antibody (J2 stands out for its specific and quantitative recognition of dsRNA in a sequence-independent fashion. Applications of J2 include immunofluorescence, ELISA and dot blot: techniques complementing an arsenal of other detection tools, such as nucleic acid purification and quantitative real-time-PCR. We evaluate each method as well as demonstrate a successful LRV detection by the J2 antibody in several parasite strains, a freshly isolated patient sample and lesion biopsies of infected mice.We propose that refinements of these methods could be transferred to the field for use as a diagnostic tool in detecting the presence of LRV, and potentially assessing the LRV-related risk of complications in cutaneous leishmaniasis.

  1. Phylogenetic analysis of HSP70 and cyt b gene sequences for Chinese Leishmania isolates and ultrastructural characteristics of Chinese Leishmania sp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Dongmei; Qin, Hanxiao; Zhang, Jianguo; Liao, Lin; Chen, Qiwei; Chen, Dali; Chen, Jianping

    2017-02-01

    Leishmaniasis is a worldwide epidemic disease caused by the genus Leishmania, which is still endemic in the west and northwest areas of China. Some viewpoints of the traditional taxonomy of Chinese Leishmania have been challenged by recent phylogenetic researches based on different molecular markers. However, the taxonomic positions and phylogenetic relationships of Chinese Leishmania isolates remain controversial, which need for more data and further analysis. In this study, the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) gene and cytochrome b (cyt b) gene were used for phylogenetic analysis of Chinese Leishmania isolates from patients, dogs, gerbils, and sand flies in different geographic origins. Besides, for the interesting Leishmania sp. in China, the ultrastructure of three Chinese Leishmania sp. strains (MHOM/CN/90/SC10H2, SD, GL) were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Bayesian trees from HSP70 and cyt b congruently indicated that the 14 Chinese Leishmania isolates belong to three Leishmania species including L. donovani complex, L. gerbilli, and L. (Sauroleishmania) sp. Their identity further confirmed that the undescribed Leishmania species causing visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) in China is closely related to L. tarentolae. The phylogenetic results from HSP70 also suggested the classification of subspecies within L. donovani complex: KXG-918, KXG-927, KXG-Liu, KXG-Xu, 9044, SC6, and KXG-65 belong to L. donovani; Cy, WenChuan, and 801 were proposed to be L. infantum. Through transmission electron microscopy, unexpectedly, the Golgi apparatus were not observed in SC10H2, SD, and GL, which was similar to previous reports of reptilian Leishmania. The statistical analysis of microtubule counts separated SC10H2, SD, and GL as one group from any other reference strain (L. donovani MHOM/IN/80/DD8; L. tropica MHOM/SU/74/K27; L. gerbilli MRHO/CN/60/GERBILLI). The ultrastructural characteristics of Leishmania sp. partly lend support to the phylogenetic inference that

  2. Genetic Diversity and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Iranian Leishmania Parasites Based on HSP70 Gene PCR-RFLP and Sequence Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nemati, Sara; Fazaeli, Asghar; Hajjaran, Homa; Khamesipour, Ali; Anbaran, Mohsen Falahati; Bozorgomid, Arezoo; Zarei, Fatah

    2017-08-01

    Despite the broad distribution of leishmaniasis among Iranians and animals across the country, little is known about the genetic characteristics of the causative agents. Applying both HSP70 PCR-RFLP and sequence analyses, this study aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among Leishmania spp. isolated from Iranian endemic foci and available reference strains. A total of 36 Leishmania isolates from almost all districts across the country were genetically analyzed for the HSP70 gene using both PCR-RFLP and sequence analysis. The original HSP70 gene sequences were aligned along with homologous Leishmania sequences retrieved from NCBI, and subjected to the phylogenetic analysis. Basic parameters of genetic diversity were also estimated. The HSP70 PCR-RFLP presented 3 different electrophoretic patterns, with no further intraspecific variation, corresponding to 3 Leishmania species available in the country, L. tropica, L. major, and L. infantum. Phylogenetic analyses presented 5 major clades, corresponding to 5 species complexes. Iranian lineages, including L. major, L. tropica, and L. infantum, were distributed among 3 complexes L. major, L. tropica, and L. donovani. However, within the L. major and L. donovani species complexes, the HSP70 phylogeny was not able to distinguish clearly between the L. major and L. turanica isolates, and between the L. infantum, L. donovani, and L. chagasi isolates, respectively. Our results indicated that both HSP70 PCR-RFLP and sequence analyses are medically applicable tools for identification of Leishmania species in Iranian patients. However, the reduced genetic diversity of the target gene makes it inevitable that its phylogeny only resolves the major groups, namely, the species complexes.

  3. Prevalence of antibodies to Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania infantum, Encephalitozoon cuniculi, Sarcocystis neurona, and Neospora caninum in Capybara, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, from São Paulo State, Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valadas, Samantha; Gennari, Solange Maria; Yai, Lucia Eiko Oishi; Rosypal, Alexa C; Lindsay, David S

    2010-06-01

    Little is known about the importance of capybara, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, as reservoirs for parasites of zoonotic or veterinary importance. Sera from 63 capybaras, from 6 counties in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, were examined for antibodies to Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania infantum, Encephalitozoon cuniculi, Sarcocystis neurona, and Neospora caninum using an indirect immunofluorescent antibody test. Five (8%) of the 63 capybaras had antibodies to T. cruzi epimastigotes. None of the samples from capybara reacted positively with L. infantum promastigotes or with spores of E. cuniculi . Two (3%) of the serum samples were positive for antibodies to S. neurona merozoites, and 2 (3%) of the serum samples were positive for antibodies to N. caninum tachyzoites. A serum sample from 1 capybara was positive for antibodies to both T. cruzi and N. caninum. None of the remaining 62 samples reacted with more than 1 parasite.

  4. CK2 Secreted by Leishmania braziliensis Mediates Macrophage Association Invasion: A Comparative Study between Virulent and Avirulent Promastigotes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Madeira Brito Zylbersztejn

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available CK2 is a protein kinase distributed in different compartments of Leishmania braziliensis: an externally oriented ecto-CK2, an intracellular CK2, and a secreted CK2. This latter form is constitutively secreted from the parasite (CsCK2, but such secretion may be highly enhanced by the association of specific molecules, including enzyme substrates, which lead to a higher enzymatic activity, called inductively secreted CK2 (IsCK2. Here, we examined the influence of secreted CK2 (sCK2 activity on the infectivity of a virulent L. braziliensis strain. The virulent strain presented 121-fold higher total CK2 activity than those found in an avirulent strain. The use of specific CK2 inhibitors (TBB, DRB, or heparin inhibited virulent parasite growth, whereas no effect was observed in the avirulent parasites. When these inhibitors were added to the interaction assays between the virulent L. braziliensis strain and macrophages, association index was drastically inhibited. Polyamines enhanced sCK2 activity and increased the association index between parasites and macrophages. Finally, sCK2 and the supernatant of the virulent strain increased the association index between the avirulent strain and macrophages, which was inhibited by TBB. Thus, the kinase enzyme CK2 seems to be important to invasion mechanisms of L. braziliensis.

  5. immune response in human leishmania infections Respuesta inmune en infecciones humanas por Leishmania spp

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara María Robledo Restrepo

    2000-03-01

    Full Text Available This review summarizes relevant information about the immune response triggered during leishmaniosis, a disease of great importance from the epidemiological point of view, since it is endemic in Colombia and other countries. We emphasize on human leishmaniosis; nevertheless, some important findings in the murine model are also mentioned. This information allows to conclude that Leishmania infection is a complex and coordinated process, which includes adhesion and entrance of the parasite into the host cells and its survival inside them. Events that mediate the infection process may influence its result in terms of elimination of the parasite or development of the disease, through induction or not of an effective specific immune response which involves host cell activation and parasite destruction. La presente revisión tiene como objetivo resumir la información más relevante acerca de la respuesta inmune que se desencadena durante la leishmaniosis, una enfermedad de gran importancia desde el punto de vista epidemiológico dado que es endémica en Colombia y otros países. Aunque la respuesta inmune en la leishmaniosis es un tema que se ha estudiado ampliamente en las infecciones por especies de Leishmania del Viejo Mundo, particularmente Leishmania major y Leishmania donovani y en el modelo murino, la presente revisión hace énfasis en la leishmaniosis humana. Algunos hallazgos importantes en el modelo murino también se mencionan. La información contenida en la revisión, en su mayoría, proviene de publicaciones derivadas de investigaciones, las cuales se seleccionaron con base en la calidad del trabajo realizado y en los aportes de sus resultados en el avance del conocimiento sobre las infecciones en humanos. La síntesis de la información seleccionada nos permite concluir que la infección por Leishmania es un proceso complejo y coordinado que incluye la adherencia y entrada del parásito a la célula hospedera y su posterior

  6. The structure of tubulin-binding cofactor A from Leishmania major infers a mode of association during the early stages of microtubule assembly

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barrack, Keri L.; Fyfe, Paul K.; Hunter, William N., E-mail: w.n.hunter@dundee.ac.uk [University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, Scotland (United Kingdom)

    2015-04-21

    The structure of a tubulin-binding cofactor from L. major is reported and compared with yeast, plant and human orthologues. Tubulin-binding cofactor A (TBCA) participates in microtubule formation, a key process in eukaryotic biology to create the cytoskeleton. There is little information on how TBCA might interact with β-tubulin en route to microtubule biogenesis. To address this, the protozoan Leishmania major was targeted as a model system. The crystal structure of TBCA and comparisons with three orthologous proteins are presented. The presence of conserved features infers that electrostatic interactions that are likely to involve the C-terminal tail of β-tubulin are key to association. This study provides a reagent and template to support further work in this area.

  7. The Dynamics of Lateral Gene Transfer in Genus Leishmania - A Route for Adaptation and Species Diversification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vikeved, Elisabet; Backlund, Anders; Alsmark, Cecilia

    2016-01-01

    Background The genome of Leishmania major harbours a comparably high proportion of genes of prokaryote origin, acquired by lateral gene transfer (LGT). Some of these are present in closely related trypanosomatids, while some are detected in Leishmania only. We have evaluated the impact and destiny of LGT in genus Leishmania. Methodology/Principal Findings To study the dynamics and fate of LGTs we have performed phylogenetic, as well as nucleotide and amino acid composition analyses within orthologous groups of LGTs detected in Leishmania. A set of universal trypanosomatid LGTs was added as a reference group. Both groups of LGTs have, to some extent, ameliorated to resemble the recipient genomes. However, while virtually all of the universal trypanosomatid LGTs are distributed and conserved in the entire genus Leishmania, the LGTs uniquely present in genus Leishmania are more prone to gene loss and display faster rates of evolution. Furthermore, a PCR based approach has been employed to ascertain the presence of a set of twenty LGTs uniquely present in genus Leishmania, and three universal trypanosomatid LGTs, in ten additional strains of Leishmania. Evolutionary rates and predicted expression levels of these LGTs have also been estimated. Ten of the twenty LGTs are distributed and conserved in all species investigated, while the remainder have been subjected to modifications, or undergone pseudogenization, degradation or loss in one or more species. Conclusions/Significance LGTs unique to the genus Leishmania have been acquired after the divergence of Leishmania from the other trypanosomatids, and are evolving faster than their recipient genomes. This implies that LGT in genus Leishmania is a continuous and dynamic process contributing to species differentiation and speciation. This study also highlights the importance of carefully evaluating these dynamic genes, e.g. as LGTs have been suggested as potential drug targets. PMID:26730948

  8. The Dynamics of Lateral Gene Transfer in Genus Leishmania - A Route for Adaptation and Species Diversification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vikeved, Elisabet; Backlund, Anders; Alsmark, Cecilia

    2016-01-01

    The genome of Leishmania major harbours a comparably high proportion of genes of prokaryote origin, acquired by lateral gene transfer (LGT). Some of these are present in closely related trypanosomatids, while some are detected in Leishmania only. We have evaluated the impact and destiny of LGT in genus Leishmania. To study the dynamics and fate of LGTs we have performed phylogenetic, as well as nucleotide and amino acid composition analyses within orthologous groups of LGTs detected in Leishmania. A set of universal trypanosomatid LGTs was added as a reference group. Both groups of LGTs have, to some extent, ameliorated to resemble the recipient genomes. However, while virtually all of the universal trypanosomatid LGTs are distributed and conserved in the entire genus Leishmania, the LGTs uniquely present in genus Leishmania are more prone to gene loss and display faster rates of evolution. Furthermore, a PCR based approach has been employed to ascertain the presence of a set of twenty LGTs uniquely present in genus Leishmania, and three universal trypanosomatid LGTs, in ten additional strains of Leishmania. Evolutionary rates and predicted expression levels of these LGTs have also been estimated. Ten of the twenty LGTs are distributed and conserved in all species investigated, while the remainder have been subjected to modifications, or undergone pseudogenization, degradation or loss in one or more species. LGTs unique to the genus Leishmania have been acquired after the divergence of Leishmania from the other trypanosomatids, and are evolving faster than their recipient genomes. This implies that LGT in genus Leishmania is a continuous and dynamic process contributing to species differentiation and speciation. This study also highlights the importance of carefully evaluating these dynamic genes, e.g. as LGTs have been suggested as potential drug targets.

  9. The Dynamics of Lateral Gene Transfer in Genus Leishmania - A Route for Adaptation and Species Diversification.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elisabet Vikeved

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The genome of Leishmania major harbours a comparably high proportion of genes of prokaryote origin, acquired by lateral gene transfer (LGT. Some of these are present in closely related trypanosomatids, while some are detected in Leishmania only. We have evaluated the impact and destiny of LGT in genus Leishmania.To study the dynamics and fate of LGTs we have performed phylogenetic, as well as nucleotide and amino acid composition analyses within orthologous groups of LGTs detected in Leishmania. A set of universal trypanosomatid LGTs was added as a reference group. Both groups of LGTs have, to some extent, ameliorated to resemble the recipient genomes. However, while virtually all of the universal trypanosomatid LGTs are distributed and conserved in the entire genus Leishmania, the LGTs uniquely present in genus Leishmania are more prone to gene loss and display faster rates of evolution. Furthermore, a PCR based approach has been employed to ascertain the presence of a set of twenty LGTs uniquely present in genus Leishmania, and three universal trypanosomatid LGTs, in ten additional strains of Leishmania. Evolutionary rates and predicted expression levels of these LGTs have also been estimated. Ten of the twenty LGTs are distributed and conserved in all species investigated, while the remainder have been subjected to modifications, or undergone pseudogenization, degradation or loss in one or more species.LGTs unique to the genus Leishmania have been acquired after the divergence of Leishmania from the other trypanosomatids, and are evolving faster than their recipient genomes. This implies that LGT in genus Leishmania is a continuous and dynamic process contributing to species differentiation and speciation. This study also highlights the importance of carefully evaluating these dynamic genes, e.g. as LGTs have been suggested as potential drug targets.

  10. Skin-resident CD4+ T cells protect against Leishmania major by recruiting and activating inflammatory monocytes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glennie, Nelson D.; Volk, Susan W.

    2017-01-01

    Tissue-resident memory T cells are required for establishing protective immunity against a variety of different pathogens, although the mechanisms mediating protection by CD4+ resident memory T cells are still being defined. In this study we addressed this issue with a population of protective skin-resident, IFNγ-producing CD4+ memory T cells generated following Leishmania major infection. We previously found that resident memory T cells recruit circulating effector T cells to enhance immunity. Here we show that resident memory CD4+ T cells mediate the delayed-hypersensitivity response observed in immune mice and provide protection without circulating T cells. This protection occurs rapidly after challenge, and requires the recruitment and activation of inflammatory monocytes, which limit parasites by production of both reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide. Overall, these data highlight a novel role for tissue-resident memory cells in recruiting and activating inflammatory monocytes, and underscore the central role that skin-resident T cells play in immunity to cutaneous leishmaniasis. PMID:28419151

  11. Experimental mixed infection of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis and Leishmania (L.) infantum in hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    DE Lima Celeste, Jordanna Luíza; Venuto Moura, Ana Paula; França-Silva, João Carlos; Matos DE Sousa, Gabriela; Oliveira Silva, Soraia; Norma Melo, Maria; Luiz Tafuri, Wagner; Carvalho Souza, Carolina; Monteiro DE Andrade, Hélida

    2017-08-01

    In South America, visceral leishmaniasis is frequently caused by Leishmania infantum and, at an unknown frequency, by Leishmania amazonensis. Therefore, mixed infections with these organisms are possible. Mixed infections might affect the clinical course, immune response, diagnosis, treatment and epidemiology of the disease. Here we describe the clinical course of mixed infections with L. amazonensis and L. infantum in a hamster model. We show that mixed infections are associated with more severe clinical disease than infection with L. amazonensis or L. infantum alone. In spleens with mixed infections, L. infantum outcompeted L. amazonensis in the tissue, but not in culture from tissue. We found increased levels of IgG in animals infected with L. infantum. Although more than 30 bands were revealed in a Western blot, the highest immunogenicity was observed with proteins having molecular masses of 95 and 90 kDa, whereas proteins with molecular masses of lower than 50 kDa were reactive frequently with serum from hamsters infected with L. amazonensis, and proteins with molecular masses of 80 and 70 kDa were reactive only with serum from hamsters infected with L. infantum. This finding has important implications regarding the biology of Leishmania and humoral immune responses to infections with these organisms.

  12. Leishmania isoenzyme polymorphisms in Ecuador: Relationships with geographic distribution and clinical presentation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calvopina, Manuel; Armijos, Rodrigo X; Marco, Jorge D; Uezato, Hiroshi; Kato, Hirotomo; Gomez, Eduardo A; Korenaga, Masataka; Barroso, Paola A; Mimori, Tatsuyuki; Cooper, Philip J; Nonaka, Shigeo; Hashiguchi, Yoshihisa

    2006-01-01

    Background Determinants of the clinical presentation of the leishmaniases are poorly understood but Leishmania species and strain differences are important. To examine the relationship between clinical presentation, species and isoenzyme polymorphisms, 56 Leishmania isolates from distinct presentations of American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) from Ecuador were analyzed. Methods Isolates were characterized by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis for polymorphisms of 11 isoenzymes. Patients were infected in four different ecologic regions: highland and lowland jungle of the Pacific coast, Amazonian lowlands and Andean highlands. Results Six Leishmania species constituting 21 zymodemes were identified: L. (Viannia) panamensis (21 isolates, 7 zymodemes), L. (V.) guyanensis (7 isolates, 4 zymodemes), L. (V.) braziliensis (5 isolates, 3 zymodemes), L. (Leishmania) mexicana (11 isolates, 4 zymodemes), L. (L.) amazonensis (10 isolates, 2 zymodemes) and L. (L.) major (2 isolates, 1 zymodeme). L. panamensis was the species most frequently identified in the Pacific region and was associated with several clinical variants of cutaneous disease (CL); eight cases of leishmaniasis recidiva cutis (LRC) found in the Pacific highlands were associated with 3 zymodemes of this species. Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis found only in the Amazonian focus was associated with 3 zymodemes of L. braziliensis. The papular variant of CL, Uta, found in the Andean highlands was related predominantly with a single zymodeme of L. mexicana. Conclusion Our data show a high degree of phenotypic variation within species, and some evidence for associations between specific variants of ATL (i.e. Uta and LRC) and specific Leishmania zymodemes. This study further defines the geographic distribution of Leishmania species and clinical variants of ATL in Ecuador. PMID:16968553

  13. Leishmania parasite detection and quantification using PCR-ELISA

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kobets, Tetyana; Badalová, Jana; Grekov, Igor; Havelková, Helena; Lipoldová, Marie

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 5, č. 6 (2010), s. 1074-1080 ISSN 1754-2189 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA310/08/1697; GA MŠk(CZ) LC06009 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520514 Keywords : polymerase chain reaction * Leishmania major infection * parasite quantification Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 8.362, year: 2010

  14. Leishmania infantum and Leishmania braziliensis: differences and similarities to evade the innate immune system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah Athayde Couto Falcão

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Visceral Leishmaniasis is a severe form of the disease, caused by Leishmania infantum in the New World. Patients present an anergic immune response that favors parasite establishment and spreading through tissues like bone marrow and liver. On the other hand, Leishmania braziliensis causes localized cutaneous lesions, which can be self healing in some individuals. Interactions between host and parasite are essential to understand disease pathogenesis and progression. In this context, dendritic cells (DCs act as essential bridges that connect innate and adaptive immune responses. In this way, the aim of this study was to compare the effects of these two Leishmania species, in some aspects of human dendritic cells biology to better understanding of the evasion mechanisms of Leishmania from host innate immune response. To do so, DCs were obtained from monocytes from whole peripheral blood’s healthy volunteers donors and infected with L. infantum or L. braziliensis for 24 hours. We observed similar rates of infection (around 40% as well as parasite burden for both Leishmania species. Concerning surface molecules, we observed that both parasites induced CD86 expression when DCs were infected for 24h. On the other hand, we detected a lower surface expression of CD209 in the presence of both L. braziliensis and L. infantum, but only the last one promoted the survival of dendritic cells after 24 hours. Therefore, DCs infected by both Leishmania species showed a higher expression of CD86 and a decrease of CD209 expression, suggesting that both enter DCs through CD209 molecule. However, only L. infantum had the ability to inhibit DC apoptotic death, as an evasion mechanism that enables its spreading to organs like bone marrow and liver. Lastly, L. braziliensis was more silent parasite, once it did not inhibit DC apoptosis in our in vitro model.

  15. Leishmania major surface protease Gp63 interferes with the function of human monocytes and neutrophils in vitro

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, A L; Hey, A S; Kharazmi, A

    1994-01-01

    In the present study the effect of Leishmania major surface protease Gp63 on the chemotaxis and oxidative burst response of human peripheral blood monocytes and neutrophils was investigated. It was shown that prior incubation of cells with Gp63 inhibited chemotaxis of neutrophils but not monocytes...... towards the chemotactic peptide f-met-leu-phe. On the other hand, chemotaxis of both neutrophils and monocytes towards zymosan-activated serum containing C5a was inhibited by Gp63. Monocyte and neutrophil chemiluminescence response to opsonized zymosan was reduced by preincubation of the cells with Gp63...... in a concentration-dependent manner. Notably, monocytes were inhibited to a much greater degree than neutrophils by a given concentration of Gp63, and they were also inhibited at much lower concentrations of the protease. The inhibitory effect of Gp63 on chemotaxis and chemiluminescence was completely abolished...

  16. Assessment of nuclear and mitochondrial genes in precise identification and analysis of genetic polymorphisms for the evaluation of Leishmania parasites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fotouhi-Ardakani, Reza; Dabiri, Shahriar; Ajdari, Soheila; Alimohammadian, Mohammad Hossein; AlaeeNovin, Elnaz; Taleshi, Neda; Parvizi, Parviz

    2016-12-01

    The polymorphism and genetic diversity of Leishmania genus has status under discussion depending on many items such as nuclear and/or mitochondrial genes, molecular tools, Leishmania species, geographical origin, condition of micro-environment of Leishmania parasites and isolation of Leishmania from clinical samples, reservoir host and vectors. The genetic variation of Leishmania species (L. major, L. tropica, L. tarentolae, L. mexicana, L. infantum) were analyzed and compared using mitochondrial (COII and Cyt b) and nuclear (nagt, ITS-rDNA and HSP70) genes. The role of each enzymatic (COII, Cyt b and nagt) or housekeeping (ITS-rDNA, HSP70) gene was employed for accurate identification of Leishmania parasites. After DNA extractions and amplifying of native, natural and reference strains of Leishmania parasites, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products were sequenced and evaluation of genetic proximity and phylogenetic analysis were performed using MEGA6 and DnaSP5 software. Among the 72 sequences of the five genes, the number of polymorphic sites was significantly lower as compared to the monomorphic sites. Of the 72 sequences, 54 new haplotypes (five genes) of Leishmania species were submitted in GenBank (Access number: KU680818 - KU680871). Four genes had a remarkable number of informative sites (P=0.00), except HSP70 maybe because of its microsatellite regions. The non-synonymous (dN) variants of nagt gene were more than that of other expression genes (47.4%). The synonymous (dS)/dN ratio in three expression genes showed a significant variation between five Leishmania species (P=0.001). The highest and lowest levels of haplotype diversity were observed in L. tropica (81.35%) and L. major (28.38%) populations, respectively. Tajima's D index analyses showed that Cyt b gene in L. tropica species was significantly negative (Tajima's D=-2.2, PLeishmania parasites. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Computational prediction of protein-protein interactions in Leishmania predicted proteomes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio M Rezende

    Full Text Available The Trypanosomatids parasites Leishmania braziliensis, Leishmania major and Leishmania infantum are important human pathogens. Despite of years of study and genome availability, effective vaccine has not been developed yet, and the chemotherapy is highly toxic. Therefore, it is clear just interdisciplinary integrated studies will have success in trying to search new targets for developing of vaccines and drugs. An essential part of this rationale is related to protein-protein interaction network (PPI study which can provide a better understanding of complex protein interactions in biological system. Thus, we modeled PPIs for Trypanosomatids through computational methods using sequence comparison against public database of protein or domain interaction for interaction prediction (Interolog Mapping and developed a dedicated combined system score to address the predictions robustness. The confidence evaluation of network prediction approach was addressed using gold standard positive and negative datasets and the AUC value obtained was 0.94. As result, 39,420, 43,531 and 45,235 interactions were predicted for L. braziliensis, L. major and L. infantum respectively. For each predicted network the top 20 proteins were ranked by MCC topological index. In addition, information related with immunological potential, degree of protein sequence conservation among orthologs and degree of identity compared to proteins of potential parasite hosts was integrated. This information integration provides a better understanding and usefulness of the predicted networks that can be valuable to select new potential biological targets for drug and vaccine development. Network modularity which is a key when one is interested in destabilizing the PPIs for drug or vaccine purposes along with multiple alignments of the predicted PPIs were performed revealing patterns associated with protein turnover. In addition, around 50% of hypothetical protein present in the networks

  18. Anti-leishmanial and Anti-cancer Activities of a Pentacyclic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Erah

    against promastigotes of Leishmania donovani, and anti-cancer activity on K562 leukaemic cell line. Results: A .... crisis of chronic myeloid leukemia was used for this test. The cells ... containing 1×106 cells/ml, 2 mM L-glutamine and 50 µg/ml ...

  19. Molecular Characterization of Leishmania Parasites in Giemsa-Stained Slides from Cases of Human Cutaneous and Visceral Leishmaniasis, Eastern Algeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beldi, Nadia; Mansouri, Roukaya; Bettaieb, Jihene; Yaacoub, Alia; Souguir Omrani, Hejer; Saadi Ben Aoun, Yusr; Saadni, Farida; Guizani, Ikram; Guerbouj, Souheila

    2017-06-01

    In Algeria, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is due to Leishmania (L.) infantum, while three cutaneous forms (CL) are caused by Leishmania major, Leishmania tropica and Leishmania infantum. In this study, the use of Giemsa-stained slides was evaluated with two PCR techniques, in Eastern Algeria. A total of 136 samples corresponding to 100 CL smears (skin scrapings) and 36 VL slides (bone marrow aspirates) collected from 2008 to 2014 were tested. Upon DNA extraction, two PCRs were used to amplify the ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 (ITS1) and mini-exon genes. Amplified products were digested (PCR-RFLP) and profiles analyzed for Leishmania species identification. A statistical analysis was also performed. ITS1-PCR was found significantly more sensitive than mini-exon-PCR (77.95% positives vs. 67.65%; p = 0.001). Comparison of PCR positivity showed statistically significant differences between old and recently prepared slides suggesting a better use of recent slides in PCR analyses. For species identification, PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) results of ITS1 and mini-exon were concordant. L. infantum was identified from VL cases and L. infantum, L. major, and L. tropica from CL ones. According to geographical origin, L. infantum was found in North-Eastern provinces, while L. major was distributed from the North to the Center-East of Algeria. Interestingly, two L. tropica samples were identified in Annaba, located far North-East Algeria. Distribution of leishmaniasis in Eastern parts of Algeria, besides finding of L. tropica in the far North, is in this study described for the first time using molecular tools, thus confirming the usefulness of slides for PCR identification of Leishmania parasites in retrospective epidemiological investigations.

  20. Leishmania isoenzyme polymorphisms in Ecuador: Relationships with geographic distribution and clinical presentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mimori Tatsuyuki

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Determinants of the clinical presentation of the leishmaniases are poorly understood but Leishmania species and strain differences are important. To examine the relationship between clinical presentation, species and isoenzyme polymorphisms, 56 Leishmania isolates from distinct presentations of American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL from Ecuador were analyzed. Methods Isolates were characterized by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis for polymorphisms of 11 isoenzymes. Patients were infected in four different ecologic regions: highland and lowland jungle of the Pacific coast, Amazonian lowlands and Andean highlands. Results Six Leishmania species constituting 21 zymodemes were identified: L. (Viannia panamensis (21 isolates, 7 zymodemes, L. (V. guyanensis (7 isolates, 4 zymodemes, L. (V. braziliensis (5 isolates, 3 zymodemes, L. (Leishmania mexicana (11 isolates, 4 zymodemes, L. (L. amazonensis (10 isolates, 2 zymodemes and L. (L. major (2 isolates, 1 zymodeme. L. panamensis was the species most frequently identified in the Pacific region and was associated with several clinical variants of cutaneous disease (CL; eight cases of leishmaniasis recidiva cutis (LRC found in the Pacific highlands were associated with 3 zymodemes of this species. Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis found only in the Amazonian focus was associated with 3 zymodemes of L. braziliensis. The papular variant of CL, Uta, found in the Andean highlands was related predominantly with a single zymodeme of L. mexicana. Conclusion Our data show a high degree of phenotypic variation within species, and some evidence for associations between specific variants of ATL (i.e. Uta and LRC and specific Leishmania zymodemes. This study further defines the geographic distribution of Leishmania species and clinical variants of ATL in Ecuador.

  1. Estudio ultraestructural de la fagocitosis de promastigotes y amastigotes de Leishmania mexicana por la línea de células dendríticas FSDC

    OpenAIRE

    Ladys Sarmiento; Martha Ayala; Sandra Peña; Gerzaín Rodríguez; Zelandia Fermín; Felix J. Tapia

    2006-01-01

    Introducción. Las células dendríticas están presentes en la mayoría de los tejidos, ellas capturany presentan antígenos para activar a los linfocitos T. Objetivo. Se describe ultraestructuralmente la fagocitosis de Leishmania mexicana por lalínea de células dendríticas FSDC, una línea de células de Langerhans obtenida de la epidermisfetal de ratón, e inmortalizada por la transducción retroviral del oncogen v-myc. Materiales y métodos. Se obtuvieron amastigotes de la lesión de ratones ...

  2. Serological survey of dogs from Egypt for antibodies to Leishmania spp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leishmaniasis is an insect-transmitted parasitic disease with worldwide distribution. Leishmania spp. infections cause a broad spectrum of clinical signs ranging from skin lesions to fatal visceral disease. Dogs are a major reservoir host for visceral leishmaniasis in humans. Leishmaniasis is endemi...

  3. Molecular Modeling and Structural Stability of Wild-Type and Mutant CYP51 from Leishmania major: In Vitro and In Silico Analysis of a Laboratory Strain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masoud Keighobadi

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease and a major public health in the most countries. Leishmania major is the most common cause of cutaneous leishmaniasis. In the Leishmania parasites, sterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51, which is involved in the biosynthesis of sterols, has been identified as an attractive target for development of new therapeutic agents. In this study, the sequence and structure of CYP51 in a laboratory strain (MRHO/IR/75/ER of L. major were determined and compared to the wild-type strain. The results showed 19 mutations including seven non-synonymous and 12 synonymous ones in the CYP51 sequence of strain MRHO/IR/75/ER. Importantly, an arginine to lysine substitution at position of 474 resulted in destabilization of CYP51 (ΔΔG = 1.17 kcal/mol in the laboratory strain; however, when the overall effects of all substitutions were evaluated by 100 ns molecular dynamics simulation, the final structure did not show any significant changes (p-value < 0.05 in stability parameter of the strain MRHO/IR/75/ER compared to the wild-type protein. The energy level for the CYP51 of wild-type and MRHO/IR/75/ER strain were −40,027.1 and −39,706.48 Kcal/mol respectively. The overall Root-mean-square deviation (RMSD deviation between two proteins was less than 1 Å throughout the simulation and Root-mean-square fluctuation (RMSF plot also showed no substantial differences between amino acids fluctuation of the both protein. The results also showed that, these mutations were located on the protein periphery that neither interferes with protein folding nor with substrate/inhibitor binding. Therefore, L. major strain MRHO/IR/75/ER is suggested as a suitable laboratory model for studying biological role of CYP51 and inhibitory effects of sterol 14α-demethylase inhibitors.

  4. Journal of Biosciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Leishmania donovani requires an exogenous source of heme for growth and transformation. In in vitro culture of the free-living promastigotes, exogenously added hemin enhances cell proliferation. In this investigation, the question of the function of heme with particular reference to protein synthesis and cell proliferation has ...

  5. Phylogenomic reconstruction supports supercontinent origins for Leishmania.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harkins, Kelly M; Schwartz, Rachel S; Cartwright, Reed A; Stone, Anne C

    2016-03-01

    Leishmania, a genus of parasites transmitted to human hosts and mammalian/reptilian reservoirs by an insect vector, is the causative agent of the human disease complex leishmaniasis. The evolutionary relationships within the genus Leishmania and its origins are the source of ongoing debate, reflected in conflicting phylogenetic and biogeographic reconstructions. This study employs a recently described bioinformatics method, SISRS, to identify over 200,000 informative sites across the genome from newly sequenced and publicly available Leishmania data. This dataset is used to reconstruct the evolutionary relationships of this genus. Additionally, we constructed a large multi-gene dataset, using it to reconstruct the phylogeny and estimate divergence dates for species. We conclude that the genus Leishmania evolved at least 90-100 million years ago, supporting a modified version of the Multiple Origins hypothesis that we call the Supercontinent hypothesis. According to this scenario, separate Leishmania clades emerged prior to, and during, the breakup of Gondwana. Additionally, we confirm that reptile-infecting Leishmania are derived from mammalian forms and that the species that infect porcupines and sloths form a clade long separated from other species. Finally, we firmly place the guinea-pig infecting species, Leishmaniaenriettii, the globally dispersed Leishmaniasiamensis, and the newly identified Australian species from a kangaroo, as sibling species whose distribution arises from the ancient connection between Australia, Antarctica, and South America. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Screening for Inhibitors of Essential Leishmania Glucose Transporters

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-07-01

    Leishmania Glucose Transporters PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Scott M. Landfear, Ph.D. CONTRACTING ORGANIZATION: Oregon Health & Science...COVERED 1 July 2009- 30 June 2013 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER Screening for Inhibitors of Essential Leishmania Glucose Transporters 5b...The objective of this project was to identify compounds that selectively inhibit the essential Leishmania glucose transporters and could hence serve

  7. Structural modeling and docking studies of ribose 5-phosphate isomerase from Leishmania major and Homo sapiens: a comparative analysis for Leishmaniasis treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Capriles, Priscila V S Z; Baptista, Luiz Phillippe R; Guedes, Isabella A; Guimarães, Ana Carolina R; Custódio, Fabio L; Alves-Ferreira, Marcelo; Dardenne, Laurent E

    2015-02-01

    Leishmaniases are caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania and are considered the second-highest cause of death worldwide by parasitic infection. The drugs available for treatment in humans are becoming ineffective mainly due to parasite resistance; therefore, it is extremely important to develop a new chemotherapy against these parasites. A crucial aspect of drug design development is the identification and characterization of novel molecular targets. In this work, through an in silico comparative analysis between the genomes of Leishmania major and Homo sapiens, the enzyme ribose 5-phosphate isomerase (R5PI) was indicated as a promising molecular target. R5PI is an important enzyme that acts in the pentose phosphate pathway and catalyzes the interconversion of d-ribose-5-phosphate (R5P) and d-ribulose-5-phosphate (5RP). R5PI activity is found in two analogous groups of enzymes called RpiA (found in H. sapiens) and RpiB (found in L. major). Here, we present the first report of the three-dimensional (3D) structures and active sites of RpiB from L. major (LmRpiB) and RpiA from H. sapiens (HsRpiA). Three-dimensional models were constructed by applying a hybrid methodology that combines comparative and ab initio modeling techniques, and the active site was characterized based on docking studies of the substrates R5P (furanose and ring-opened forms) and 5RP. Our comparative analyses show that these proteins are structural analogs and that distinct residues participate in the interconversion of R5P and 5RP. We propose two distinct reaction mechanisms for the reversible isomerization of R5P to 5RP, which is catalyzed by LmRpiB and HsRpiA. We expect that the present results will be important in guiding future molecular modeling studies to develop new drugs that are specially designed to inhibit the parasitic form of the enzyme without significant effects on the human analog. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Pro-apoptotic effect of the landrace Bangla Mahoba of Piper betle on Leishmania donovani may be due to the high content of eugenol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Misra, Pragya; Kumar, Awanish; Khare, Prashant; Gupta, Swati; Kumar, Nikhil; Dube, Anuradha

    2009-08-01

    In the absence of effective and safe treatment for visceral leishmaniasis or Kala-azar - a devastating parasitic disease caused by Leishmania donovani - the search for anti-leishmanial agents from natural resources in common use is imperative. Recently, the comparative in vitro anti-leishmanial activity of methanolic extracts from two landraces of Piper betle - P. betle landrace Bangla Mahoba (PB-BM) and P. betle landrace Kapoori Vellaikodi (PB-KV) - has been reported. Here, the putative pathway responsible for death induced by the effective extract of PB-BM methanolic extract in promastigotes, as well as the intracellular amastigote form of L. donovani, was assessed using various biochemical approaches. It was found that PB-BM was capable of selectively inhibiting both stages of Leishmania parasites by accelerating apoptotic events by generation of reactive oxygen species targeting the mitochondria without any cytotoxicity towards macrophages. The study was extended to determine the presence or absence of activity of the methanolic extract of PB-BM and PB-KV on the basis of differences in essential oil composition present in the extract assessed by GC and MS. The essential oil from PB-BM was found to be rich in eugenol compared with that from PB-KV. The anti-leishmanial efficacy of PB-BM methanolic extract mediated through apoptosis is probably due to the higher content of eugenol in the active landrace. This observation emphasizes the need to extend studies related to traditional medicines from bioactive plants below the species level to the gender/landrace level for better efficacy and reproducibility.

  9. [Molecular typing of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis and species of the subgenus Viannia associated with cutaneous and mucosal leishmaniasis in Colombia: A concordance study].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ovalle-Bracho, Clemencia; Camargo, Carolina; Díaz-Toro, Yira; Parra-Muñoz, Marcela

    2018-03-15

    Multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE) is the reference standard for the characterization of Leishmania species. The test is restricted to specialized laboratories due to its technical complexity, cost, and time required to obtain results. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) is used to identify Leishmania species. To establish the concordance between the two tests as identifying methods for circulating species in Colombia. A total of 96 isolates from patients with cutaneous or mucosal leishmaniasis were selected and identified by MLEE and PCR-RFLP with miniexon and hsp70 as the molecular targets, which were used sequentially. Restriction enzymes HaeIII and BccI were similarly applied. Cohen's kappa coefficient and the 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. The kappa coefficient and the 95% CI between MLEE and PCR-RFLP displayed "very good" concordance with a coefficient of 0.98 (CI95%: 0.98 to 1.00). The identified species were Leishmania Viannia braziliensis, Leishmania Viannia panamensis, Leishmania Viannia guyanensis and Leishmania Leishmania amazonensis. A total of 80 of the 96 isolates were sequenced and the results obtained by PCR-RFLP were confirmed. Due to the concordance obtained between tests results with the amplification of the genes miniexon and hsp70, PCR-RFLP is proposed as an alternative for identifying circulating Leishmania species in Colombia.

  10. Leishmania infections: Molecular targets and diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akhoundi, Mohammad; Downing, Tim; Votýpka, Jan; Kuhls, Katrin; Lukeš, Julius; Cannet, Arnaud; Ravel, Christophe; Marty, Pierre; Delaunay, Pascal; Kasbari, Mohamed; Granouillac, Bruno; Gradoni, Luigi; Sereno, Denis

    2017-10-01

    Progress in the diagnosis of leishmaniases depends on the development of effective methods and the discovery of suitable biomarkers. We propose firstly an update classification of Leishmania species and their synonymies. We demonstrate a global map highlighting the geography of known endemic Leishmania species pathogenic to humans. We summarize a complete list of techniques currently in use and discuss their advantages and limitations. The available data highlights the benefits of molecular markers in terms of their sensitivity and specificity to quantify variation from the subgeneric level to species complexes, (sub) species within complexes, and individual populations and infection foci. Each DNA-based detection method is supplied with a comprehensive description of markers and primers and proposal for a classification based on the role of each target and primer in the detection, identification and quantification of leishmaniasis infection. We outline a genome-wide map of genes informative for diagnosis that have been used for Leishmania genotyping. Furthermore, we propose a classification method based on the suitability of well-studied molecular markers for typing the 21 known Leishmania species pathogenic to humans. This can be applied to newly discovered species and to hybrid strains originating from inter-species crosses. Developing more effective and sensitive diagnostic methods and biomarkers is vital for enhancing Leishmania infection control programs. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  11. An α-Gal-containing neoglycoprotein-based vaccine partially protects against murine cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania major.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva Iniguez

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Protozoan parasites from the genus Leishmania cause broad clinical manifestations known as leishmaniases, which affect millions of people worldwide. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL, caused by L. major, is one the most common forms of the disease in the Old World. There is no preventive or therapeutic human vaccine available for L. major CL, and existing drug treatments are expensive, have toxic side effects, and resistant parasite strains have been reported. Hence, further therapeutic interventions against the disease are necessary. Terminal, non-reducing, and linear α-galactopyranosyl (α-Gal epitopes are abundantly found on the plasma membrane glycolipids of L. major known as glycoinositolphospholipids. The absence of these α-Gal epitopes in human cells makes these glycans highly immunogenic and thus potential targets for vaccine development against CL.Here, we evaluated three neoglycoproteins (NGPs, containing synthetic α-Gal epitopes covalently attached to bovine serum albumin (BSA, as vaccine candidates against L. major, using α1,3-galactosyltransferase-knockout (α1,3GalT-KO mice. These transgenic mice, similarly to humans, do not express nonreducing, linear α-Gal epitopes in their cells and are, therefore, capable of producing high levels of anti-α-Gal antibodies. We observed that Galα(1,6Galβ-BSA (NGP5B, but not Galα(1,4Galβ-BSA (NGP12B or Galα(1,3Galα-BSA (NGP17B, was able to significantly reduce the size of footpad lesions by 96% in comparison to control groups. Furthermore, we observed a robust humoral and cellular immune response with production of high levels of protective lytic anti-α-Gal antibodies and induction of Th1 cytokines.We propose that NGP5B is an attractive candidate for the study of potential synthetic α-Gal-neoglycoprotein-based vaccines against L. major infection.

  12. Cross-species genetic exchange between visceral and cutaneous strains of Leishmania in the sand fly vector.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romano, Audrey; Inbar, Ehud; Debrabant, Alain; Charmoy, Melanie; Lawyer, Phillip; Ribeiro-Gomes, Flavia; Barhoumi, Mourad; Grigg, Michael; Shaik, Jahangheer; Dobson, Deborah; Beverley, Stephen M; Sacks, David L

    2014-11-25

    Genetic exchange between Leishmania major strains during their development in the sand fly vector has been experimentally shown. To investigate the possibility of genetic exchange between different Leishmania species, a cutaneous strain of L. major and a visceral strain of Leishmania infantum, each bearing a different drug-resistant marker, were used to coinfect Lutzomyia longipalpis sand flies. Eleven double-drug-resistant progeny clones, each the product of an independent mating event, were generated and submitted to genotype and phenotype analyses. The analysis of multiple allelic markers across the genome suggested that each progeny clone inherited at least one full set of chromosomes from each parent, with loss of heterozygosity at some loci, and uniparental retention of maxicircle kinetoplast DNA. Hybrids with DNA contents of approximately 2n, 3n, and 4n were observed. In vivo studies revealed clear differences in the ability of the hybrids to produce pathology in the skin or to disseminate to and grow in the viscera, suggesting polymorphisms and differential inheritance of the gene(s) controlling these traits. The studies, to our knowledge, represent the first experimental confirmation of cross-species mating in Leishmania, opening the way toward genetic linkage analysis of important traits and providing strong evidence that genetic exchange is responsible for the generation of the mixed-species genotypes observed in natural populations.

  13. Digital holographic microscopy as a technique to monitor macrophages infected by leishmania

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendoza-Rodríguez, E.; Organista-Castelblanco, C.; Camacho, M.; Monroy-Ramírez, F.

    2017-06-01

    The Digital Holographic Microscopy in Transmission technique (DHM) is considered a useful tool in the noninvasive quantifying of transparent biological objects like living cells. In this work, we propose this technique to study and to monitor control macrophages infected by Leishmania (mouse lineJ774.A1). When the promastigotes enter in contact with healthy macrophages, they got phagocytosed and latterly confined in the formed parasitophorous vacuole. These processes change the morphology and density of the host macrophage. Both parameters can be measured in a label-free analysis of cells with the aid of the DHM technique. Our technique begins with the optical record of the holograms using a modified Mach-Zehnder interferometer and the reconstruction of the complex optical field transmitted by macrophages. In the latter point, we employ the angular spectrum algorithm. With the complex optical field reconstruction, we compute the field amplitude and the phase difference maps, which leads to describe one morphological characterization for the samples. Using phase difference maps is possible to measure internal variations for the integral refractive index, estimating the infection level of macrophages. Through the changes in the integral refractive index, it is also possible to describe and quantify in two different states the evolution of the infection. With these results some parameters of cells have been quantified, making the DHM technique a viable tool for diagnosis of biological samples under the presence of some pathogen.

  14. Quantification of anti-Leishmania antibodies in saliva of dogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cantos-Barreda, Ana; Escribano, Damián; Bernal, Luis J; Cerón, José J; Martínez-Subiela, Silvia

    2017-08-15

    Detection of serum anti-Leishmania antibodies by quantitative or qualitative techniques has been the most used method to diagnose Canine Leishmaniosis (CanL). Nevertheless, saliva may represent an alternative to blood because it is easy to collect, painless and non-invasive in comparison with serum. In this study, two time-resolved immunofluorometric assays (TR-IFMAs) for quantification of anti-Leishmania IgG2 and IgA antibodies in saliva were developed and validated and their ability to distinguish Leishmania-seronegative from seropositive dogs was evaluated. The analytical study was performed by evaluation of assay precision, sensitivity and accuracy. In addition, serum from 48 dogs (21 Leishmania-seropositive and 27 Leishmania-seronegative) were analyzed by TR-IFMAs. The assays were precise, with an intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation lower than 11%, and showed high level of accuracy, as determined by linearity under dilution (R 2 =0.99) and recovery tests (>88.60%). Anti-Leishmania IgG2 antibodies in saliva were significantly higher in the seropositive group compared with the seronegative (pLeishmania IgA antibodies between both groups were observed. Furthermore, TR-IFMA for quantification of anti-Leishmania IgG2 antibodies in saliva showed higher differences between seropositive and seronegative dogs than the commercial assay used in serum. In conclusion, TR-IFMAs developed may be used to quantify anti-Leishmania IgG2 and IgA antibodies in canine saliva with an adequate precision, analytical sensitivity and accuracy. Quantification of anti-Leishmania IgG2 antibodies in saliva could be potentially used to evaluate the humoral response in CanL. However, IgA in saliva seemed not to have diagnostic value for this disease. For future studies, it would be desirable to evaluate the ability of the IgG2 assay to detect dogs with subclinical disease or with low antibody titers in serum and also to study the antibodies behaviour in saliva during the

  15. Detection of Leishmania parasites in the blood of patients with isolated cutaneous leishmaniasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakkash-Chmaisse, Hania; Makki, Raja; Nahhas, Georges; Knio, Khouzama; Nuwayri-Salti, Nuha

    2011-07-01

    The consequences of the spread of Leishmania parasites to the blood from lesions in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis are numerous. To assess the magnitude of this invasion we conducted the present study on patients referred to the American University of Beirut Medical Center for cutaneous leishmaniasis. Patients referred for the management of cutaneous leishmaniasis were included in the study. Skin and blood cultures for Leishmania were taken from these patients. One hundred sixty-two patients were proven to have cutaneous leishmaniasis by pathology; 52% were males and 44% females (gender information was missing for 4%). Patient age ranged from 5 months to 70 years. None of the patients had received treatment for Leishmania. We obtained parasite isolates from 85 patients (52.5%), proven by cultures from skin and blood/blood components. Interestingly, the parasite was isolated in the blood and blood components of 50 patients (30.9%). Isoenzyme analysis confirmed the fact that the organisms in blood and skin were the same; from the 28 isolates that were positive in both skin and blood, eight isolates were Leishmania major and two were Leishmania tropica. The remaining isolates, whether positive in both blood and skin or in either of these tissues, skin or blood and its products, were Leishmania infantum sensu lato. In the current study, the detection rate of parasites in the blood of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis was high. This illustrates the invasive characteristic of the parasite that has escaped the skin. Testing should be considered in areas other than Lebanon, especially around the Mediterranean basin. Whether these findings support the administration of systemic treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis or not needs to be confirmed in larger prospective studies. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. The Genome Sequence of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis: Functional Annotation and Extended Analysis of Gene Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Real, Fernando; Vidal, Ramon Oliveira; Carazzolle, Marcelo Falsarella; Mondego, Jorge Maurício Costa; Costa, Gustavo Gilson Lacerda; Herai, Roberto Hirochi; Würtele, Martin; de Carvalho, Lucas Miguel; e Ferreira, Renata Carmona; Mortara, Renato Arruda; Barbiéri, Clara Lucia; Mieczkowski, Piotr; da Silveira, José Franco; Briones, Marcelo Ribeiro da Silva; Pereira, Gonçalo Amarante Guimarães; Bahia, Diana

    2013-01-01

    We present the sequencing and annotation of the Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis genome, an etiological agent of human cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Amazon region of Brazil. L. (L.) amazonensis shares features with Leishmania (L.) mexicana but also exhibits unique characteristics regarding geographical distribution and clinical manifestations of cutaneous lesions (e.g. borderline disseminated cutaneous leishmaniasis). Predicted genes were scored for orthologous gene families and conserved domains in comparison with other human pathogenic Leishmania spp. Carboxypeptidase, aminotransferase, and 3′-nucleotidase genes and ATPase, thioredoxin, and chaperone-related domains were represented more abundantly in L. (L.) amazonensis and L. (L.) mexicana species. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these two species share groups of amastin surface proteins unique to the genus that could be related to specific features of disease outcomes and host cell interactions. Additionally, we describe a hypothetical hybrid interactome of potentially secreted L. (L.) amazonensis proteins and host proteins under the assumption that parasite factors mimic their mammalian counterparts. The model predicts an interaction between an L. (L.) amazonensis heat-shock protein and mammalian Toll-like receptor 9, which is implicated in important immune responses such as cytokine and nitric oxide production. The analysis presented here represents valuable information for future studies of leishmaniasis pathogenicity and treatment. PMID:23857904

  17. Functional and genetic evidence that nucleoside transport is highly conserved in Leishmania species: Implications for pyrimidine-based chemotherapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khalid J.H. Alzahrani

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Leishmania pyrimidine salvage is replete with opportunities for therapeutic intervention with enzyme inhibitors or antimetabolites. Their uptake into cells depends upon specific transporters; therefore it is essential to establish whether various Leishmania species possess similar pyrimidine transporters capable of drug uptake. Here, we report a comprehensive characterization of pyrimidine transport in L. major and L. mexicana. In both species, two transporters for uridine/adenosine were detected, one of which also transported uracil and the antimetabolites 5-fluoruracil (5-FU and 5F,2′deoxyuridine (5F,2′dUrd, and was designated uridine-uracil transporter 1 (UUT1; the other transporter mediated uptake of adenosine, uridine, 5F,2′dUrd and thymidine and was designated Nucleoside Transporter 1 (NT1. To verify the reported L. donovani model of two NT1-like genes encoding uridine/adenosine transporters, and an NT2 gene encoding an inosine transporter, we cloned the corresponding L. major and L. mexicana genes, expressing each in T. brucei. Consistent with the L. donovani reports, the NT1-like genes of either species mediated the adenosine-sensitive uptake of [3H]-uridine but not of [3H]-inosine. Conversely, the NT2-like genes mediated uptake of [3H]-inosine but not [3H]-uridine. Among pyrimidine antimetabolites tested, 5-FU and 5F,2′dUrd were the most effective antileishmanials; resistance to both analogs was induced in L. major and L. mexicana. In each case it was found that the resistant cells had lost the transport capacity for the inducing drug. Metabolomics analysis found that the mechanism of action of 5-FU and 5F-2′dUrd was similar in both Leishmania species, with major changes in deoxynucleotide metabolism. We conclude that the pyrimidine salvage system is highly conserved in Leishmania species - essential information for the development of pyrimidine-based chemotherapy. Keywords: Leishmania, Pyrimidine metabolism, Uracil

  18. Evidence for Seroprevalence in Human Localized Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Caused by Leishmania donovani in Sri Lanka

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    Yamuna Deepani Siriwardana

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Visceral leishmaniasis (VL is considered as a major health threat in the Indian subcontinent. Leishmania donovani, a usually visceralizing species, causes cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL in Sri Lanka. However, visceralizing potential of the local L. donovani is not yet fully understood. This project studied the seroprevalence of local CL by using an in-house ELISA. An IgG-based ELISA using crude Leishmania antigen (Ag was developed and validated. A total of 50 laboratory confirmed cases of locally acquired CL were examined using the newly developed ELISA. According to the optimized ELISA, seroprevalence of anti-Leishmania IgG antibodies in the study group was 34.0% (n=17/50. Majority of seropositive individuals were males (n=13/17, representing 76%. Nearly half of the seropositive individuals were young adults (20–40 years, n=9/17, 53%. Higher proportions of single lesions, large lesions, and nodular lesions were associated with a seroconversion. A proportion of local L. donovani infections leading to CL have the ability to raise an antibody response in the host. This may indicate early systemic involvement as one possibility. Study of a large number of patients with adequate follow-up would be useful.

  19. Design and Synthesis of Novel Antileishmanial Compounds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melanie Loedige

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available According to the WHO, infectious diseases, and in particular neglected tropical diseases in poor developing countries, still play a significant role in a vast number of deaths reported worldwide. Among them, leishmaniasis occurs as a complex and clinically diverse illness caused by protozoan Leishmania species which are transmitted through the bite of sandflies. They develop through a complex life cycle, from promastigotes in sandflies to amastigotes in humans. The severity of disease is determined by the type of infecting Leishmania species and also depends strongly on whether the parasite infection leads to a systemic involvement or not. Since the sensitivity towards diverse medicaments highly differs among the Leishmania species, it is advantageous to treat leishmaniasis with species-specific drugs. Towards this goal we report a synthetic methodology and characterization of novel small molecular agents active against both forms of L. major. This synthetic approach allows for rapid access to new active antileishmanial drug templates and their first derivatives in moderate to very good yields. Although the compounds reported here are bioactive, the detailed biological results are part of a more comprehensive study and will be reported separately by our collaborators.

  20. Molecular characterization of leishmania infection from naturally infected sand flies caught in a focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis (eastern iran.

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    Mohammad Akhoundi

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania major is a serious and increasing problem affecting many rural areas of 17 out of 31 provinces in Iran. Little is known about sand fly fauna and leishmaniases in Eastern Iran and no study has been carried out in Sarbisheh County. The aim of this study was to determine sand flies composition and probable Leishmania infection to find the probable vectors of leishmaniasis in Sarbisheh district.Sand flies were caught using both sticky papers and CDC light traps in August 2010. They were identified morphologically and analyzed for Leishmania infection by amplification of ITS-rDNA.Totally, 842 specimens were caught and 8 species recorded. They belonged to the genera Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia: P. (Phlebotomus papatasi, P. (Paraphlebotomus sergenti, P. (Pa. caucasicus, P. (Pa. mongolensis, P. (Pa. jacusieli, S. (Sergentomyia dentata, S. (Se. sintoni and S. (Sintonius clydei. All collected females were processed for Leishmania DNA detection by PCR amplifying of Internal Transcribed Spacer1 (partial sequence, 5.8S (complete sequence and ITS2 (partial sequence fragments. Thirteen females were positive for Leishmania DNA. The sequencing of the 430 bp amplicons indicated that 9 P. papatasi and 3 females belonging to the Caucasicus group carried L. major DNA whereas one P. sergenti carried L. tropica DNA.Phlebotomus papatasi and P. sergenti are, like in several places, the probable vectors of cutaneous leishmaniases in this emerging or unknown focus of cutaneous leishmaniases.

  1. Understanding serine proteases implications on Leishmania spp lifecycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alves, Carlos Roberto; Souza, Raquel Santos de; Charret, Karen Dos Santos; Côrtes, Luzia Monteiro de Castro; Sá-Silva, Matheus Pereira de; Barral-Veloso, Laura; Oliveira, Luiz Filipe Gonçalves; da Silva, Franklin Souza

    2018-01-01

    Serine proteases have significant functions over a broad range of relevant biological processes to the Leishmania spp lifecycle. Data gathered here present an update on the Leishmania spp serine proteases and the status of these enzymes as part of the parasite degradome. The serine protease genes (n = 26 to 28) in Leishmania spp, which encode proteins with a wide range of molecular masses (35 kDa-115 kDa), are described along with their degrees of chromosomal and allelic synteny. Amid 17 putative Leishmania spp serine proteases, only ∼18% were experimentally demonstrated, as: signal peptidases that remove the signal peptide from secretory pre-proteins, maturases of other proteins and with metacaspase-like activity. These enzymes include those of clans SB, SC and SF. Classical inhibitors of serine proteases are used as tools for the characterization and investigation of Leishmania spp. Endogenous serine protease inhibitors, which are ecotin-like, can act modulating host actions. However, crude or synthetic based-natural serine protease inhibitors, such as potato tuber extract, Stichodactyla helianthus protease inhibitor I, fukugetin and epoxy-α-lapachone act on parasitic serine proteases and are promising leishmanicidal agents. The functional interrelationship between serine proteases and other Leishmania spp proteins demonstrate essential functions of these enzymes in parasite physiology and therefore their value as targets for leishmaniasis treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Leishmanicidal activity in vitro of Musa paradisiaca L. and Spondias mombin L. fractions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Accioly, Marina Parissi; Bevilaqua, Claudia Maria Leal; Rondon, Fernanda C M; de Morais, Selene Maia; Machado, Lyeghyna K A; Almeida, Camila A; de Andrade, Heitor Franco; Cardoso, Roselaine P A

    2012-06-08

    Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a zoonotic disease characterized by infection of mononuclear phagocytes by Leishmania chagasi. The primary vector is Lutzomyia longipalpis and the dog is the main domestic reservoir. The control and current treatment of dogs using synthetic drugs have not shown effectiveness in reducing the incidence of disease in man. In attempt to find new compounds with leishmanicidal action, plant secondary metabolites have been studied in search of treatments of VL. This study aimed to evaluate the leishmanicidal activity of Musa paradisiaca (banana tree) and Spondias mombin (cajazeira) chemical constituents on promastigotes and amastigotes of L. chagasi. Phytochemical analysis by column chromatography was performed on ethanol extracts of two plants and fractions were isolated. Thin layer chromatography was used to compare the fractions and for isolation the substances to be used in vitro tests. The in vitro tests on promastigotes of L. chagasi used the MTT colorimetric method and the method of ELISA in situ was used against amastigotes besides the cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7 cells. Of the eight fractions tested, Sm1 and Sm2 from S. mombin had no action against promastigotes, but had good activity against amastigotes. The fractions Mp1 e Mp4 of M. paradisiaca were very cytotoxic to RAW 264.7 cells. The best result was obtained with the fraction Sm3 from S. mombin with IC(50) of 11.26 μg/ml against promastigotes and amastigotes of 0.27 μg/ml. The fraction Sm3 characterized as tannic acid showed the best results against both forms of Leishmania being a good candidate for evaluation in in vivo tests. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  3. Members of a large retroposon family are determinants of post-transcriptional gene expression in Leishmania.

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    Frédéric Bringaud

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Trypanosomatids are unicellular protists that include the human pathogens Leishmania spp. (leishmaniasis, Trypanosoma brucei (sleeping sickness, and Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas disease. Analysis of their recently completed genomes confirmed the presence of non-long-terminal repeat retrotransposons, also called retroposons. Using the 79-bp signature sequence common to all trypanosomatid retroposons as bait, we identified in the Leishmania major genome two new large families of small elements--LmSIDER1 (785 copies and LmSIDER2 (1,073 copies--that fulfill all the characteristics of extinct trypanosomatid retroposons. LmSIDERs are approximately 70 times more abundant in L. major compared to T. brucei and are found almost exclusively within the 3'-untranslated regions (3'UTRs of L. major mRNAs. We provide experimental evidence that LmSIDER2 act as mRNA instability elements and that LmSIDER2-containing mRNAs are generally expressed at lower levels compared to the non-LmSIDER2 mRNAs. The considerable expansion of LmSIDERs within 3'UTRs in an organism lacking transcriptional control and their role in regulating mRNA stability indicate that Leishmania have probably recycled these short retroposons to globally modulate the expression of a number of genes. To our knowledge, this is the first example in eukaryotes of the domestication and expansion of a family of mobile elements that have evolved to fulfill a critical cellular function.

  4. Identification and phylogenetic relationship of Iranian strains of various Leishmania species isolated from cutaneous and visceral cases of leishmaniasis based on N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate transferase gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hajjaran, Homa; Mohebali, Mehdi; Teimouri, Aref; Oshaghi, Mohammad Ali; Mirjalali, Hamed; Kazemi-Rad, Elham; Shiee, Mohammad Reza; Naddaf, Saied Reza

    2014-08-01

    The identity of Iranian Leishmania species has been resolved to some extent by some genetic markers. In this study, based on N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate transferase (nagt) gene, we further elucidated the identity and phylogeny of the prevalent species in this country. DNAs of 121 isolates belonging to cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) patients, canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) cases, and Rhombomys opimus rodents were amplified by targeting a partial sequence of nagt gene. All the amplicons were analyzed with restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) using Acc1 enzyme, and 49 amplicons representing different reservoir hosts were sequenced and aligned with similar sequences from GenBank database. The RFLP analysis revealed that 41 CL patients were infected Leishmania tropica and 36 with Leishmania major. Among 10 CVL isolates, 6 were identified as Leishmania infantum and 4 as L. tropica. Amongst 34 rodents' isolates, 11 and 23 isolates exhibited patterns similar to those of L. major, and L. tropica/Leishmania turanica, respectively. The sequencing results from all CL patients, CVL cases, and 4 reservoir rodents were in agreement with RFLP analysis and showed 99-100% homologies with the registered species of L. major, L. tropica, and L. infantum from Turkey, Tunisia, Iraq and Israel. Of the 7 rodent isolates exhibiting RFLP patterns similar to L. tropica/L. turanica, 3 exhibited the highest homologies (99-100%) with L. turanica and 4 with Leishmania gerbilli. The 49 nagt DNA sequences were grouped into five clusters representing L. major, L. tropica, L. infantum, L. turanica and L. gerbilli species, encompassing 19 haplotypes. No correlation was observed between intraspecies divergence and geographic distribution of haplotypes. The L. tropica haplotypes exhibited more homologies with those of L. infantum than L. major (97.2% vs. 96.9%), a probable indication to the potential ability of L. tropica to visceralize. Characterization of Iranian Leishmania isolates

  5. Description of Leishmania (Leishmania forattinii sp. n., a new parasite infecting opossums and rodents in Brazil

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    Elizaide L. A. Yoshida

    1993-09-01

    Full Text Available A new parasite species of Leishmania is described, L. (Leishmania forattinii sp. n., which was isolated from a pooled triturate of liver and spleen of a opossum (Didelphis marsupialis aurita and from skin samples from a rodent (Proechmys iheringi denigratus, captured in primary forest on the Atlantic Cost of Brazil. Our results on the basis of biological and molecular criteria indicate that this taxonomically distinct parasite ias a new species of the L. mexicana complex, but closely related to L. (L. aristidesi Laison & shaw, 1979, as revelated by phenetic and phylogenetic numerical analyses of the enzyme data. L. forattinii was clearly distinguishable from other Leishmania species of the genus usisng enzyme electrophoresis, monoclonal antibodies, molecular karyotypes, analysis of restriction enzyme digestion patterns of kinetoplast DNA (kDNA, as well as the use of kDNA hybridization procedures.

  6. Role of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-17 in Leishmania pathogenesis and in protective immunity by Leishmania vaccines.

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    Banerjee, Antara; Bhattacharya, Parna; Joshi, Amritanshu B; Ismail, Nevien; Dey, Ranadhir; Nakhasi, Hira L

    2016-11-01

    The clinical outcome of Leishmania pathogenesis ranges from active skin lesions to fatal visceral dissemination and severely impaired T cell immunity. It is well established that a strong Th1 immune response is protective against cutaneous forms of the disease, however a mixed Th1/Th2 response is most commonly observed against visceral infections as evident from previous studies. Aside from Th1/Th2 cytokines, the pro-inflammatory IL-17 cytokine family plays an important role in the clearance of intracellular pathogens. In Leishmania induced skin lesions, IL-17 produced by Th17 cells is shown to exacerbate the disease, suggesting a role in pathogenesis. However, a protective role for IL-17 is indicated by the expansion of IL-17 producing cells in vaccine-induced immunity. In human visceral leishmaniasis (VL) it has been demonstrated that IL-17 and IL-22 are associated with protection against re-exposure to Leishmania, which further suggests the involvement of IL-17 in vaccine induced protective immunity. Although there is no vaccine against any form of leishmaniasis, the development of genetically modified live attenuated parasites as vaccine candidates prove to be promising, as they successfully induce a robust protective immune response in various animal models. However, the role of IL-17 producing cells and Th17 cells in response to these vaccine candidates remains unexplored. In this article, we review the role of IL-17 in Leishmania pathogenesis and the potential impact on vaccine induced immunity, with a special focus on live attenuated Leishmania parasites. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  7. Improved proteolytic stability and potent activity against Leishmania infantum trypanothione reductase of α/β-peptide foldamers conjugated to cell-penetrating peptides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Lucio, Héctor; Gamo, Ana María; Ruiz-Santaquiteria, Marta; de Castro, Sonia; Sánchez-Murcia, Pedro A; Toro, Miguel A; Gutiérrez, Kilian Jesús; Gago, Federico; Jiménez-Ruiz, Antonio; Camarasa, María-José; Velázquez, Sonsoles

    2017-11-10

    The objective of the current study was to enhance the proteolytic stability of peptide-based inhibitors that target critical protein-protein interactions at the dimerization interface of Leishmania infantum trypanothione reductase (Li-TryR) using a backbone modification strategy. To achieve this goal we carried out the synthesis, proteolytic stability studies and biological evaluation of a small library of α/β 3 -peptide foldamers of different length (from 9-mers to 13-mers) and different α→β substitution patterns related to prototype linear α-peptides. We show that several 13-residue α/β 3 -peptide foldamers retain inhibitory potency against the enzyme (in both activity and dimerization assays) while they are far less susceptible to proteolytic degradation than an analogous α-peptide. The strong dependence of the binding affinities for Li-TryR on the length of the α,β-peptides is supported by theoretical calculations on conformational ensembles of the resulting complexes. The conjugation of the most proteolytically stable α/β-peptide with oligoarginines results in a molecule with potent activity against L. infantum promastigotes and amastigotes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  8. Leishmania Hijacks Myeloid Cells for Immune Escape

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    María Martínez-López

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Protozoan parasites of the Leishmania genus are the causative agents of leishmaniasis, a group of neglected tropical diseases whose clinical manifestations vary depending on the infectious Leishmania species but also on host factors. Recognition of the parasite by host myeloid immune cells is a key to trigger an effective Leishmania-specific immunity. However, the parasite is able to persist in host myeloid cells by evading, delaying and manipulating host immunity in order to escape host resistance and ensure its transmission. Neutrophils are first in infiltrating infection sites and could act either favoring or protecting against infection, depending on factors such as the genetic background of the host or the parasite species. Macrophages are the main host cells where the parasites grow and divide. However, macrophages are also the main effector population involved in parasite clearance. Parasite elimination by macrophages requires the priming and development of an effector Th1 adaptive immunity driven by specific subtypes of dendritic cells. Herein, we will provide a comprehensive outline of how myeloid cells regulate innate and adaptive immunity against Leishmania, and the mechanisms used by the parasites to promote their evasion and sabotage. Understanding the interactions between Leishmania and the host myeloid cells may lead to the development of new therapeutic approaches and improved vaccination to leishmaniases, an important worldwide health problem in which current therapeutic or preventive approaches are limited.

  9. N-(4-((E)-3-arylacryloyl)phenyl)acetamide derivatives and their antileishmanial activity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pacheco, Dency J.; Trilleras, Jorge; Prent, Luis; Coaves, Tobinson [Universidad del Atlantico, Barranquilla-Atlantico (Colombia). Facultad de Ciencias Basicas. Grupo de Investigacion en Compuestos Heterociclicos; Quiroga, Jairo [Universidad del Valle, Cali (Colombia). Dept. de Quimica. Grupo de Investigacion de Compuestos Heterociclicos; Gutierrez, Jennifer; Delgado, Gabriela [Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota, D.C. (Colombia). Facultad de Ciencias. Departamento de Farmacia. Grupo de Investigacion en Inmunotoxicologia; Marin, Juan C. [Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota, D.C. (Colombia). Facultad de Ciencias. Departamento de Farmacia. Grupo de Investigacion Farmacognosia y Fitoquimica

    2013-10-15

    The antileishmanial activity of a series of enonic derivatives (chalcones) synthesized via Claisen-Schmidt condensation reactions assisted by ultrasonic radiation was characterized by analyzing their cytotoxicity against Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis promastigotes, a species responsible for over 90% of Leishmania cases in Colombia. Two compounds were active against Leishmania with selectivity indexes of LC{sub 50} EC{sub 50} {sup -1} (lethal concentration 50 and effective concentration 50) higher than 27 and 3, respectively. These results suggest that a substitution on one of the two chalcone rings (aromatic ring A) with oxygen is convenient. Compound 3g should be further investigated for its antileishmanial activity, especially for being easy to obtain in high yields, making it possible to produce drugs for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis. (author)

  10. N-(4-((E)-3-arylacryloyl)phenyl)acetamide derivatives and their antileishmanial activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pacheco, Dency J.; Trilleras, Jorge; Prent, Luis; Coaves, Tobinson; Quiroga, Jairo; Gutierrez, Jennifer; Delgado, Gabriela; Marin, Juan C.

    2013-01-01

    The antileishmanial activity of a series of enonic derivatives (chalcones) synthesized via Claisen-Schmidt condensation reactions assisted by ultrasonic radiation was characterized by analyzing their cytotoxicity against Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis promastigotes, a species responsible for over 90% of Leishmania cases in Colombia. Two compounds were active against Leishmania with selectivity indexes of LC 50 EC 50 -1 (lethal concentration 50 and effective concentration 50) higher than 27 and 3, respectively. These results suggest that a substitution on one of the two chalcone rings (aromatic ring A) with oxygen is convenient. Compound 3g should be further investigated for its antileishmanial activity, especially for being easy to obtain in high yields, making it possible to produce drugs for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis. (author)

  11. Genetic metabolic complementation establishes a requirement for GDP-fucose in Leishmania.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Hongjie; Novozhilova, Natalia M; Bandini, Giulia; Turco, Salvatore J; Ferguson, Michael A J; Beverley, Stephen M

    2017-06-23

    To survive in its sand fly vector, the trypanosomatid protozoan parasite Leishmania first attaches to the midgut to avoid excretion, but eventually it must detach for transmission by the next bite. In Leishmania major strain Friedlin, this is controlled by modifications of the stage-specific adhesin lipophosphoglycan (LPG). During differentiation to infective metacyclics, d-arabinopyranose (d-Ara p ) caps the LPG side-chain galactose residues, blocking interaction with the midgut lectin PpGalec, thereby leading to parasite detachment and transmission. Previously, we characterized two closely related L. major genes ( FKP40 and AFKP80 ) encoding bifunctional proteins with kinase/pyrophosphorylase activities required for salvage and conversion of l-fucose and/or d-Ara p into the nucleotide-sugar substrates required by glycosyltransferases. Whereas only AFKP80 yielded GDP-d-Ara p from exogenous d-Ara p , both proteins were able to salvage l-fucose to GDP-fucose. We now show that Δ afkp80 - null mutants ablated d-Ara p modifications of LPG as predicted, whereas Δ fkp40 - null mutants resembled wild type (WT). Fucoconjugates had not been reported previously in L. major , but unexpectedly, we were unable to generate fkp40 - / afkp80 - double mutants, unless one of the A/FKPs was expressed ectopically. To test whether GDP-fucose itself was essential for Leishmania viability, we employed "genetic metabolite complementation." First, the trypanosome de novo pathway enzymes GDP-mannose dehydratase (GMD) and GDP-fucose synthetase (GMER) were expressed ectopically; from these cells, the Δ fkp40 - /Δ afkp80 - double mutant was now readily obtained. As expected, the Δ fkp40 - /Δ afkp80 - /+ TbGMD-GMER line lacked the capacity to generate GDP-Ara p , while synthesizing abundant GDP-fucose. These results establish a requirement for GDP-fucose for L. major viability and predict the existence of an essential fucoconjugate(s). © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and

  12. Leishmania Surveillance and Diagnostic Capability in Support of the Joint Biological Agent Identification and Diagnostic System (JBAIDS) and Leishmania Vector Surveillance

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-02-07

    01-10-09 to 07-02-13 ’+. I II L~ J.\\NU :::OU~ Ill L~ :la. l-UI’I I 11J.\\l- I NUIVI~~I1 LEISHMANIA SURVEILLANCE AND DIAGNOSTIC CAPABILITY IN None...SUPPORT OF THE JOINT BIOLOGICAL AGENT IDENTIFICATION AND :lD. l:JI1J.\\NI NUIVI~~I1 DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM (JBAIDS) None . ./ LEISHMANIA VECTOR...Field Station at Kisumu completed project activities through a resource sharing arrangement with the 59th MDW. Testing of the Leishmania epidemiology

  13. Reproduction in Leishmania: A focus on genetic exchange.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rougeron, V; De Meeûs, T; Bañuls, A-L

    2017-06-01

    One key process of the life cycle of pathogens is their mode of reproduction. Indeed, this fundamental biological process conditions the multiplication and the transmission of genes and thus the propagation of diseases in the environment. Reproductive strategies of protozoan parasites have been a subject of debate for many years, principally due to the difficulty in making direct observations of sexual reproduction (i.e. genetic recombination). Traditionally, these parasites were considered as characterized by a preeminent clonal structure. Nevertheless, with the development of elaborate culture experiments, population genetics and evolutionary and population genomics, several studies suggested that most of these pathogens were also characterized by constitutive genetic recombination events. In this opinion, we focused on Leishmania parasites, pathogens responsible of leishmaniases, a major public health issue. We first discuss the evolutionary advantages of a mixed mating reproductive strategy, then we review the evidence of genetic exchange, and finally we detail available tools to detect naturally occurring genetic recombination in Leishmania parasites and more generally in protozoan parasites. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  14. Calcein+/PI- as an early apoptotic feature in Leishmania.

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    Louise Basmaciyan

    Full Text Available Although leishmaniases are responsible for high morbidity and mortality all over the world, no really satisfying treatment exists. Furthermore, the corresponding parasite Leishmania undergoes a very characteristic form of programmed cell death. Indeed, different stimuli can induce morphological and biochemical apoptotic-like features. However, the key proteins involved in mammal apoptosis, such as caspases and death receptors, are not encoded in the genome of this parasite. Currently, little is known about Leishmania apoptosis, notably owing to the lack of specific tools for programmed cell death analysis in these parasites. Furthermore, there is a need for a better understanding of Leishmania programmed cell death in order (i to better understand the role of apoptosis in unicellular organisms, (ii to better understand apoptosis in general through the study of an ancestral eukaryote, and (iii to identify new therapeutic targets against leishmaniases. To advance understanding of apoptosis in Leishmania, in this study we developed a new tool based on the quantification of calcein and propidium iodide by flow cytometry. This double labeling can be employed to distinguish early apoptosis, late apoptosis and necrosis in Leishmania live cells with a very simple and rapid assay. This paper should, therefore, be of interest for people working on Leishmania and related parasites.

  15. Calcein+/PI- as an early apoptotic feature in Leishmania.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basmaciyan, Louise; Azas, Nadine; Casanova, Magali

    2017-01-01

    Although leishmaniases are responsible for high morbidity and mortality all over the world, no really satisfying treatment exists. Furthermore, the corresponding parasite Leishmania undergoes a very characteristic form of programmed cell death. Indeed, different stimuli can induce morphological and biochemical apoptotic-like features. However, the key proteins involved in mammal apoptosis, such as caspases and death receptors, are not encoded in the genome of this parasite. Currently, little is known about Leishmania apoptosis, notably owing to the lack of specific tools for programmed cell death analysis in these parasites. Furthermore, there is a need for a better understanding of Leishmania programmed cell death in order (i) to better understand the role of apoptosis in unicellular organisms, (ii) to better understand apoptosis in general through the study of an ancestral eukaryote, and (iii) to identify new therapeutic targets against leishmaniases. To advance understanding of apoptosis in Leishmania, in this study we developed a new tool based on the quantification of calcein and propidium iodide by flow cytometry. This double labeling can be employed to distinguish early apoptosis, late apoptosis and necrosis in Leishmania live cells with a very simple and rapid assay. This paper should, therefore, be of interest for people working on Leishmania and related parasites.

  16. FIRST REPORT OF CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS CAUSED BY Leishmania (Leishmania infantum chagasi IN AN URBAN AREA OF RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

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    Marcelo Rosandiski LYRA

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available SUMMARY American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL is an infectious disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania, and transmitted by sandflies. In the state of Rio de Janeiro, almost all of the cases of American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL are caused by Leishmania (Viannia braziliensis, while cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL are caused by Leishmania (Leishmania infantum chagasi. The resurgence of autochthonous VL cases in Rio de Janeiro is related to the geographic expansion of the vector Lutzomyia longipalpis and its ability to adapt to urban areas. We report the first case of leishmaniasis with exclusively cutaneous manifestations caused by L. (L. infantum chagasi in an urban area of Rio de Janeiro. An eighty-one-year-old woman presented three pleomorphic skin lesions that were not associated with systemic symptoms or visceromegalies. Multilocus enzyme electrophoresis identified L. (L. infantum chagasi, but direct smear and PCR of bone narrow were negative for Leishmania sp. (suggesting exclusively cutaneous involvement. We discuss the different dermatological presentations of viscerotropic leishmaniasis of the New and Old World, and the clinical and epidemiological importance of the case. Etiologic diagnosis of ATL based upon exclusive clinical criteria may lead to incorrect conclusions. We should be aware of the constant changes in epidemiological patterns related to leishmaniases.

  17. Leishmaniasis cutánea zosteriforme causada por Leishmania (Viannia panamensis y Leishmania (Viannia braziliensis: reporte de tres casos

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    Camilo Andrés Morales

    2014-09-01

    Se presentan tres casos de leishmaniasis cutánea zosteriforme en los que se identificaron Leishmania panamensis y Leishmania braziliensis como especies infectantes. La sospecha epidemiológica derivada de la procedencia de los pacientes, así como la sospecha clínica a partir del reconocimiento de una presentación infrecuente de la enfermedad, permitieron hacer el diagnóstico.

  18. Polyketides isolated from Penicillium herquei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marinho, Andrey Moacir do Rosario; Marinho, Patricia Santana Barbosa; Rodrigues Filho, Edson; Ferreira, Izabel Cristina Piloto

    2011-01-01

    In this work we are reporting the isolation of polyketides citreoserine (1), emodin (2), janthinone (3), dihydrocitrinone (4) and citrinin H-1 (5). The compounds were isolated by chromatographic procedures and identified by spectral methods of NMR 1D and 2D and MS. The compounds 1, 2 and 3 were tested against promastigotes of Leishmania brasiliensis. (author)

  19. Polyketides isolated from Penicillium herquei; Policetideos isolados de Penicillium herquei

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marinho, Andrey Moacir do Rosario; Marinho, Patricia Santana Barbosa, E-mail: andrey@ufpa.br [Universidade Federal do Para (UFPA), Belem, PA (Brazil). Faculdade de Quimica; Rodrigues Filho, Edson [Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos (UFSCar), SP (Brazil). Departamento de Quimica; Ferreira, Izabel Cristina Piloto [Universidade Estadual de Maringa (UEM), PR (Brazil). Departamento de Analises Clinicas

    2011-07-01

    In this work we are reporting the isolation of polyketides citreoserine (1), emodin (2), janthinone (3), dihydrocitrinone (4) and citrinin H-1 (5). The compounds were isolated by chromatographic procedures and identified by spectral methods of NMR 1D and 2D and MS. The compounds 1, 2 and 3 were tested against promastigotes of Leishmania brasiliensis. (author)

  20. Sand fly captures with Disney traps in area of occurrence of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, mid-western Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dorval, Maria Elizabeth Cavalheiros; Alves, Tulia Peixoto; Cristaldo, Geucira; Rocha, Hilda Carlos da; Alves, Murilo Andrade; Oshiro, Elisa Teruya; Oliveira, Alessandra Gutierrez de; Brazil, Reginaldo Peçanha; Galati, Eunice Aparecida Bianchi; Cunha, Rivaldo Venancio da

    2010-01-01

    The work was conducted to study phlebotomine fauna (Diptera: Psychodidae) and aspects of American cutaneous leishmaniasis transmission in a forested area where Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis occurs, situated in the municipality of Bela Vista, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The captures were conducted with modified Disney traps, using hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) as bait, from May 2004 to January 2006. Ten species of phlebotomine sandflies were captured: Brumptomyia avellari, Brumptomyia brumpti, Bichromomyia flaviscutellata, Evandromyia bourrouli, Evandromyia lenti, Lutzomyia longipalpis, Psathyromyia campograndensis, Psathyromyia punctigeniculata, Psathyromyia shannoni and Sciopemyia sordellii. The two predominant species were Ev bourrouli (57.3%) and Bi flaviscutellata (41.4%), present at all sampling sites. Two of the 36 hamsters used as bait presented natural infection with Leishmania. The parasite was identified as Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis. Analysis of the results revealed the efficiency of Disney traps for capturing Bichromomyia flaviscutellata and the simultaneous presence of both vector and the Leishmania species transmitted by the same can be considered a predictive factor of the occurrence of leishmaniasis outbreaks for the human population that occupies the location.

  1. Myeloid-derived suppressor cell functionality and interaction with Leishmania major parasites differ in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmid, Maximilian; Zimara, Nicole; Wege, Anja Kathrin; Ritter, Uwe

    2014-11-01

    Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) represent a heterogeneous population of CD11b+ cells. According to the surface molecules Ly6G and Ly6C (where Ly6G and Ly6C are lymphocyte antigen 6, locus G and C, respectively), MDSCs are further divided into monocytic (Mo-MDSCs, CD11b+ /Ly6C(high) /Ly6G-) and polymorphonucleated suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs, CD11b+ /Ly6C(int) /Ly6G+). Most published manuscripts focus on the suppressive role of MDSCs in cancer, whereas their impact on adaptive immunity against obligatory intracellular parasites is not well understood. Furthermore, it is not clear how the genetic background of mice influences MDSC functionality. Therefore, we implemented an experimental model of leishmaniasis, and analyzed MDSC maturation and the impact of MDSCs on the parasite-specific T-cell responses in resistant C57BL/6 and susceptible BALB/c mice. This experimental setup demonstrated the impaired ability of BALB/c mice to produce Mo-MDSCs when compared with C57BL/6 mice. This phenotype is detectable after subcutaneous infection with parasites and is specifically represented by a reduced accumulation of Mo-MDSCs at the site of infection in BALB/c mice. Moreover, infected C57BL/6-derived MDSCs were able to suppress Leishmania-specific CD4+ -cell proliferation, whereas BALB/c-derived MDSCs harboring parasites lost this suppressive function. In conclusion, we demonstrate that (i) genetic background defines MDSC differentiation; and (ii) Leishmania major parasites are able to modulate the suppressive effect of MDSCs in a strain-dependent manner. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Histopatologia da forma localizada de leishmaniose cutânea por Leishmania (Leishmania amazonensis Histopathology of the localized form of cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania (Leishmania amazonensis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mário A. P. Moraes

    1994-10-01

    Full Text Available São descritas as alterações microscópicas presentes na forma localizada (ulcerada da Leishmaniose cutânea produzida por Leishmania (Leishmania amazonensis. Nesse tipo de manifestação, menos conhecido do que a forma anérgica ou difusa devida ao mesmo agente, as lesões são clinicamente idênticas às de leishmaniose cutânea causada por espécies outras de Leishmania, pertencentes ao subgênero Viannia. Na infecção localizada por L. (L. amazonensis, entretanto, há um aspecto peculiar, só recentemente conhecido, ou seja, cerca de 50% dos indivíduos atingidos não reagem ao teste de Montenegro. A principal característica histológica observada foi a acumulação na derme, quase sempre focal, de numerosos macrófagos contendo no citoplasma um grande vacúolo cheio de amastigotas. O quadro é semelhante ao da forma difusa, porém sem o aspecto histiocitomatóide, próprio da última. Afora esses grupos de macrófagos, vêem-se também, na forma localizada, muitas células mononucleares da inflamação, principalmente plasmócitos e macrófagos não parasitados. Os acúmulos de macrófagos com amastigotas, quando volumosos, podem sofrer necrose na parte central; os parasitos, contidos nas células, são destruídos com elas ou liberados, e sua eliminação através da úlcera deve contribuir para a cura do processo. Esse tipo de necrose nunca foi descrito em casos da forma difusa. Não houve grande diferença, no quadro histológico, entre pacientes Montenegro-negativos e positivos. Apenas em alguns casos, do grupo Montenegro-positivo, havia granulomas formados por histiócitos epitelióides sem parasitos. Quanto à persistência das células com parasitos nas lesões, observou-se que aos seis meses ou mais de evolução, em ambos os grupos, ainda estavam elas presentes. Tal achado não é comum na leishmaniose tegumentar por L. (V. braziliensis.The microscopic changes found in the localized form of the human cutaneous leishmaniasis due

  3. Genetics of host response to Leishmania tropica in mice - different control of skin pathology, chemokine reaction, and iInvasion into spleen and liver

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kobets, Tetyana; Havelková, Helena; Grekov, Igor; Volkova, Valeriya; Vojtíšková, Jarmila; Slapničková, Martina; Kurey, Irina; Sohrabi, Yahya; Svobodová, M.; Demant, P.; Lipoldová, Marie

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 6, č. 6 (2012), e1667 ISSN 1935-2735 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA310/08/1697; GA ČR GD310/08/H077; GA MŠk(CZ) LC06009 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : leishmaniasis * Leishmania tropica * Leishmania major Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 4.569, year: 2012

  4. Increased thiol levels in antimony-resistant Leishmania infantum isolated from treatment-refractory visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magalhães, Lucas S; Bomfim, Lays Gs; Mota, Sthefanne G; Cruz, Geydson S; Corrêa, Cristiane B; Tanajura, Diego M; Lipscomb, Michael W; Borges, Valéria M; Jesus, Amélia R de; Almeida, Roque P de; Moura, Tatiana R de

    2018-02-01

    BACKGROUND Treatment-refractory visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has become an important problem in many countries. OBJECTIVES We evaluated the antimony-resistance mechanisms of Leishmania infantum isolated from VL patients refractory or responsive to treatment with pentavalent antimony. METHODS Strains isolated from antimony-refractory patients (in vitro antimony-resistant isolates) and antimony-responsive patients (in vitro antimony-sensitive isolates) were examined. Morphological changes were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy after trivalent antimony exposure. P-glycoprotein (P-gp) efflux pump activity was evaluated using the pump-specific inhibitor verapamil hydrochloride, and the role of thiol in trivalent antimony resistance was investigated using the enzymatic inhibitor L-buthionine sulfoximine. FINDINGS Antimony treatment induced fewer alterations in the cellular structure of L. infantum resistant isolates than in that of sensitive isolates. P-gp efflux activity was not involved in antimony resistance in these isolates. Importantly, the resistant isolates contained higher levels of thiol compared to the sensitive isolates, and inhibition of thiol synthesis in the resistant isolates recovered their sensitivity to trivalent antimony treatment, and enhanced the production of reactive oxygen species in promastigotes exposed to the drug. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that isolates from patients with antimony-refractory VL exhibited higher thiol levels than antimony-sensitive isolates. This indicates that redox metabolism plays an important role in the antimony-resistance of New World VL isolates.

  5. Phylogenetic position of Leishmania isolates from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Nazma Habib; Messenger, Louisa A; Wahid, Sobia; Sutherland, Colin J

    2016-08-01

    Several species of the genus Leishmania are causative agents of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Pakistan. This study aimed to determine phylogenetic placement of Leishmania species causing cutaneous leishmaniasis in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan (34 Leishmania tropica, 3 Leishmania infantum), in-relation to species from other geographical areas using gene sequences encoding cytochrome b (cytb) and internal transcribed spacer 2 (its2). Based on cytochrome b sequence analysis, L. tropica strains from Pakistan and other geographical regions were differentiated into two genotype groups, A and B. Within the province, five distinct L. tropica genotypes were recognized; two in group A, three in group B. Two L. infantum isolates from the province were closely associated with both Afro-Eurasian and American species of the Leishmania donovani complex, including Leishmania chagasi, L. infantum and L. donovani from Sudan and Ethiopia; while a third L. infantum isolate could not be differentiated from visceralizing Kenyan and Indian L. donovani. We observed apposite phylogenetic placement of CL-causing L. tropica and L. infantum from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Affinities ascribed to Leishmania spp. From the region are valuable in tracing potential importation of leishmaniasis. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Erythema exsudativum multiforme after a Leishmania skin test

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wind, Bas S.; Guimarães, Luiz H.; Machado, Paulo R. L.

    2014-01-01

    A 45-year-old otherwise healthy male from an endemic region for Leishmania braziliensis infection in Bahia, Brazil, presented with three erosive hemorrhagic infiltrated plaques on the left shin accompanied with lymphadenopathy in the groin since one month. A Leishmania skin test performed on the

  7. Engagement of NKG2D on bystander memory CD8 T cells promotes increased immunopathology following Leishmania major infection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erika J Crosby

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available One of the hallmarks of adaptive immunity is the development of a long-term pathogen specific memory response. While persistent memory T cells certainly impact the immune response during a secondary challenge, their role in unrelated infections is less clear. To address this issue, we utilized lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV and Listeria monocytogenes immune mice to investigate whether bystander memory T cells influence Leishmania major infection. Despite similar parasite burdens, LCMV and Listeria immune mice exhibited a significant increase in leishmanial lesion size compared to mice infected with L. major alone. This increased lesion size was due to a severe inflammatory response, consisting not only of monocytes and neutrophils, but also significantly more CD8 T cells. Many of the CD8 T cells were LCMV specific and expressed gzmB and NKG2D, but unexpectedly expressed very little IFN-γ. Moreover, if CD8 T cells were depleted in LCMV immune mice prior to challenge with L. major, the increase in lesion size was lost. Strikingly, treating with NKG2D blocking antibodies abrogated the increased immunopathology observed in LCMV immune mice, showing that NKG2D engagement on LCMV specific memory CD8 T cells was required for the observed phenotype. These results indicate that bystander memory CD8 T cells can participate in an unrelated immune response and induce immunopathology through an NKG2D dependent mechanism without providing increased protection.

  8. Detection, molecular typing and phylogenetic analysis of Leishmania isolated from cases of leishmaniasis among Syrian refugees in Lebanon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tamara Salloum

    2016-06-01

    Two molecular typing methods of 39 FFPE Leishmania isolates were used: the ITS1-PCR RFLP and the nested ITS1-5.8S rDNA gene amplification followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The efficiency of these two techniques in Leishmania identification was compared and the phylogenetic relationships among these isolates were illustrated based on the neighbor-joining (NJ method. The results were statistically correlated with the parasitic index (PI. The DNA storage in formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE tissues was assessed as well. The parasites identified were all L. tropica as determined by both techniques. ITS1-5.8S rDNA gene based typing proved to be more sensitive in the detection of parasites (positive in 69.2% of the isolates as opposed to the ITS1-PCR RFLP method that was successful in identifying L. tropica in only 43.6% of the isolates. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis revealed high levels of heterogeneity. A statistically significant correlation was observed between PI and the results of the nested ITS1-5.8S rDNA gene PCR. Genotyping at the species level is essential for monitoring the relative frequency of CL in the Mediterranean area that is correlated to three different Leishmania species (Leishmania infantum, Leishmania major and L. tropica, each characterized by distinct epidemiological features. The obtained results highlight the need to find a universally accepted diagnostic tool for Leishmania typing.

  9. Structure, substrate recognition and reactivity of Leishmania major mevalonate kinase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hunter William N

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Isoprenoid precursor synthesis via the mevalonate route in humans and pathogenic trypanosomatids is an important metabolic pathway. There is however, only limited information available on the structure and reactivity of the component enzymes in trypanosomatids. Since isoprenoid biosynthesis is essential for trypanosomatid viability and may provide new targets for therapeutic intervention it is important to characterize the pathway components. Results Putative mevalonate kinase encoding genes from Leishmania major (LmMK and Trypanosoma brucei (TbMK have been cloned, over-expressed in and proteins isolated from procyclic-form T. brucei. A highly sensitive radioactive assay was developed and shows ATP-dependent phosphorylation of mevalonate. Apo and (R-mevalonate bound crystal structures of LmMK, from a bacterial expression system, have been determined to high resolution providing, for the first time, information concerning binding of mevalonate to an MK. The mevalonate binds in a deep cavity lined by highly conserved residues. His25 is key for binding and for discrimination of (R- over (S-mevalonate, with the main chain amide interacting with the C3 hydroxyl group of (R-mevalonate, and the side chain contributing, together with Val202 and Thr283, to the construction of a hydrophobic binding site for the C3 methyl substituent. The C5 hydroxyl, where phosphorylation occurs, points towards catalytic residues, Lys18 and Asp155. The activity of LmMK was significantly reduced compared to MK from other species and we were unable to obtain ATP-binding data. Comparisons with the rat MK:ATP complex were used to investigate how this substrate might bind. In LmMK, helix α2 and the preceding polypeptide adopt a conformation, not seen in related kinase structures, impeding access to the nucleotide triphosphate binding site suggesting that a conformational rearrangement is required to allow ATP binding. Conclusion Our new structural

  10. Phytochemical screening of the exudate of Aloe otallensis and its effect on Leishmania donovani

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zerihun Tesfaye Nigusse

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the antileishmanial activity of methanolic extract of Aloe otallensis (A. otallensis on the promastigote stage of Leishmania donovani (L. donovani as compared to standard drugs and to screen its phytochemical constituents. Methods: Phytochemical screening was done by using the method mentioned by Evans and Trease on methanolic extract of the exudates of Aloe otallensis leaves. The extract was also evaluated for in vitro antileishmanial activity against L. donavani which is found from the Parasitology Unit of Black Lion Hospital. The result was compared to standard drugs of sodium stibogluconate, milfostin and paramomycin. Results: The extract has a good antileishmanial activity with an IC50 of 0.1230 μg/mL on L. donovani (AM 563. The experimental data showed that relatively it had better activity than paramomycin and milfostin but less activity than sodium stibogluconate. The data analyses were done by GraphPad Prism version 5 software after it was read by ELISA reader at the wave length of 650 nm. The phytochemical screening of the exudates of A. otallensis showed the presence of phenol, alkaloid and saponin. Conclusions: The methanol extract of the exudates of A. otallensis has a good antileishmaniasis activity and this may be attributed to phenol, alkaloid and saponin present in the plant. But it needs further analysis for the conformation of which constituent presents in high concentration to know which one has the strongest effect.

  11. [Identification of Leishmania species in patients and phlebotomines in transmission areas in a region of Peru].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Córdova, Ofelia; Vargas, Franklin; Hashiguchi, Yoshihisa; Kato, Hirotomo; Gómez, Eduardo

    2011-01-01

    To identify the species of Leishmania present in the skin lesions of patients and Lutzomyias living in endemic areas of La Libertad, Peru. Molecular methods based on PCR and RFLP were used, which allowed to have efficient data with small amounts of samples (small specimens), due to their high sensitivity and ease of application in the field work. The results of PCR of clinical samples of patients and insect vectors showed the presence of Leishmania (V.) peruviana as a major causative agent of andean leishmaniasis transmitted by Lutzomyia peruensis. The presence of Leishmania (V.) guyanensis in Lutzomyia ayacuchensis, was found as well. The presence of L. (V.) peruviana and L. (V.) guyanensis in the Andean areas under study was found. These findings remark the need of a wider research about the geographical distribution of L. (V.) guyanensis and clinical features related to the infection in endemic areas of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

  12. Detection and Differentiation of Leishmania spp. in Clinical Specimens by Use of a SYBR Green-Based Real-Time PCR Assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Almeida, Marcos E; Koru, Ozgur; Steurer, Francis; Herwaldt, Barbara L; da Silva, Alexandre J

    2017-01-01

    Leishmaniasis in humans is caused by Leishmania spp. in the subgenera Leishmania and Viannia Species identification often has clinical relevance. Until recently, our laboratory relied on conventional PCR amplification of the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region (ITS2-PCR) followed by sequencing analysis of the PCR product to differentiate Leishmania spp. Here we describe a novel real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) approach based on the SYBR green technology (LSG-qPCR), which uses genus-specific primers that target the ITS1 region and amplify DNA from at least 10 Leishmania spp., followed by analysis of the melting temperature (T m ) of the amplicons on qPCR platforms (the Mx3000P qPCR system [Stratagene-Agilent] and the 7500 real-time PCR system [ABI Life Technologies]). We initially evaluated the assay by testing reference Leishmania isolates and comparing the results with those from the conventional ITS2-PCR approach. Then we compared the results from the real-time and conventional molecular approaches for clinical specimens from 1,051 patients submitted to the reference laboratory of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for Leishmania diagnostic testing. Specimens from 477 patients tested positive for Leishmania spp. with the LSG-qPCR assay, specimens from 465 of these 477 patients also tested positive with the conventional ITS2-PCR approach, and specimens from 10 of these 465 patients had positive results because of retesting prompted by LSG-qPCR positivity. On the basis of the T m values of the LSG-qPCR amplicons from reference and clinical specimens, we were able to differentiate four groups of Leishmania parasites: the Viannia subgenus in aggregate; the Leishmania (Leishmania) donovani complex in aggregate; the species L (L) tropica; and the species L (L) mexicana, L (L) amazonensis, L (L) major, and L (L) aethiopica in aggregate. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Microbiology.

  13. Analysis of kinetoplast cytochrome b gene of 16 Leishmania isolates from different foci of China: different species of Leishmania in China and their phylogenetic inference

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background Leishmania species belong to the family Trypanosomatidae and cause leishmaniasis, a geographically widespread disease that infects humans and other vertebrates. This disease remains endemic in China. Due to the large geographic area and complex ecological environment, the taxonomic position and phylogenetic relationship of Chinese Leishmania isolates remain uncertain. A recent internal transcribed spacer 1 and cytochrome oxidase II phylogeny of Chinese Leishmania isolates has challenged some aspects of their traditional taxonomy as well as cladistics hypotheses of their phylogeny. The current study was designed to provide further disease background and sequence analysis. Methods We systematically analyzed 50 cytochrome b (cyt b) gene sequences of 19 isolates (16 from China, 3 from other countries) sequenced after polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using a special primer for cyt b as well as 31 sequences downloaded from GenBank. After alignment, the data were analyzed using the maximum parsimony, Bayesian and netwok methods. Results Sequences of six haplotypes representing 10 Chinese isolates formed a monophyletic group and clustered with Leishmania tarentolae. The isolates GS1, GS7, XJ771 of this study from China clustered with other isolates of Leishmania donovani complex. The isolate JS1 was a sister to Leishmania tropica, which represented an L. tropica complex instead of clustering with L. donovani complex or with the other 10 Chinese isolates. The isolates KXG-2 and GS-GER20 formed a monophyletic group with Leishmania turanica from central Asia. In the different phylogenetic trees, all of the Chinese isolates occurred in at least four groups regardless of geographic distribution. Conclusions The undescribed Leishmania species of China, which are clearly causative agents of canine leishmaniasis and human visceral leishmaniasis and are related to Sauroleishmania, may have evolved from a common ancestral parasite that came from the Americas and may have

  14. Calcium and magnesium ions modulate the oligomeric state and function of mitochondrial 2-Cys peroxiredoxins in Leishmania parasites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morais, Mariana A B; Giuseppe, Priscila O; Souza, Tatiana A C B; Castro, Helena; Honorato, Rodrigo V; Oliveira, Paulo S L; Netto, Luis E S; Tomas, Ana M; Murakami, Mario T

    2017-04-28

    Leishmania parasites have evolved a number of strategies to cope with the harsh environmental changes during mammalian infection. One of these mechanisms involves the functional gain that allows mitochondrial 2-Cys peroxiredoxins to act as molecular chaperones when forming decamers. This function is critical for parasite infectivity in mammals, and its activation has been considered to be controlled exclusively by the enzyme redox state under physiological conditions. Herein, we have revealed that magnesium and calcium ions play a major role in modulating the ability of these enzymes to act as molecular chaperones, surpassing the redox effect. These ions are directly involved in mitochondrial metabolism and participate in a novel mechanism to stabilize the decameric form of 2-Cys peroxiredoxins in Leishmania mitochondria. Moreover, we have demonstrated that a constitutively dimeric Prx1m mutant impairs the survival of Leishmania under heat stress, supporting the central role of the chaperone function of Prx1m for Leishmania parasites during the transition from insect to mammalian hosts. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  15. Occurrence of Leishmania (Leishmania chagasi in a domestic cat (Felis catus in Andradina, São Paulo, Brazil: case report Ocorrência de Leishmania (Leishmania chagasi em gato doméstico (Felis catus em Andradina, São Paulo, Brasil: relato de caso

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Willian Marinho Dourado Coelho

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available This work describes natural infection by Leishmania in a domestic cat where amastigote forms of the parasite were observed in the popliteal lymph node imprint. Positive and negative serological reactions were observed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA, respectively. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR revealed that the nucleotide sequence of the sample was identical to Leishmania (L. chagasi. This is the first report of the disease in felines of the city of Andradina, SP, an area considered endemic for canine and human visceral leishmaniasis.Neste trabalho, é relatada a infecção natural por Leishmania em um gato doméstico no qual, formas amastigotas do parasito foram observadas em imprint de linfonodo poplíteo. Reações sorológicas positivas e negativas foram observadas pelo teste de imunoadsorção enzimática (ELISA e reação de imunofluorescência indireta (RIFI, respectivamente. A reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR revelou que a sequência de nucleotídeos foi idêntica à Leishmania (L. chagasi. Este é o primeiro relato da doença em felino da cidade de Andradina, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil, área considerada endêmica para leishmaniose visceral canina e humana.

  16. Diverse modes of binding in structures of Leishmania majorN-myristoyltransferase with selective inhibitors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James A. Brannigan

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The leishmaniases are a spectrum of global diseases of poverty associated with immune dysfunction and are the cause of high morbidity. Despite the long history of these diseases, no effective vaccine is available and the currently used drugs are variously compromised by moderate efficacy, complex side effects and the emergence of resistance. It is therefore widely accepted that new therapies are needed. N-Myristoyltransferase (NMT has been validated pre-clinically as a target for the treatment of fungal and parasitic infections. In a previously reported high-throughput screening program, a number of hit compounds with activity against NMT from Leishmania donovani have been identified. Here, high-resolution crystal structures of representative compounds from four hit series in ternary complexes with myristoyl-CoA and NMT from the closely related L. major are reported. The structures reveal that the inhibitors associate with the peptide-binding groove at a site adjacent to the bound myristoyl-CoA and the catalytic α-carboxylate of Leu421. Each inhibitor makes extensive apolar contacts as well as a small number of polar contacts with the protein. Remarkably, the compounds exploit different features of the peptide-binding groove and collectively occupy a substantial volume of this pocket, suggesting that there is potential for the design of chimaeric inhibitors with significantly enhanced binding. Despite the high conservation of the active sites of the parasite and human NMTs, the inhibitors act selectively over the host enzyme. The role of conformational flexibility in the side chain of Tyr217 in conferring selectivity is discussed.

  17. Leishmanicidal Activity of Biogenic Fe3O4 Nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehrdad Khatami

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract: Due to the multiplicity of useful applications of metal oxide nanoparticles (ONPs in medicine are growing exponentially, in this study, Fe3O4 (iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs were biosynthesized using Rosemary to evaluate the leishmanicidal efficiency of green synthesized IONPs. This is the first report of the leishmanicidal efficiency of green synthesized IONPs against Leishmania major. The resulting biosynthesized IONPs were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis, X-ray diffraction (XRD, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR. The leishmanicidal activity of IONPS was studied via 3-4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT assay. The results showed the fabrication of the spherical shape of monodisperse IONPs with a size 4 ± 2 nm. The UV-visible spectrophotometer absorption peak was at 334 nm. The leishmanicidal activity of biogenic iron oxide nanoparticles against Leishmania major (promastigote was also studied. The IC50 of IONPs was 350 µg/mL. In this report, IONPs were synthesized via a green method. IONPs are mainly spherical and homogeneous, with an average size of about 4 nm, and were synthesized here using an eco-friendly, simple, and inexpensive method.

  18. 46-kDa protein located in the flagellar pocket of Leishmania ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    NII

    Cloning and expression of endocytic Rab GTPases from Leishmania. Fractionation of early compartment from. Leishmania containing endocytic probes. Rab7:WT. Rab5: WT. Localization of Rab5 and Rab7 in Leishmania. Phase. LTR. Merge. Rab7-GFP. Rab5-GFP. LTR. Phase. Merge. Rab5-GFP. Rab7-GFP. Lysosomes.

  19. Differentiation of Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis and Leishmania (V.) guyanensis using BccI for hsp70 PCR-RFLP.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montalvo Alvarez, Ana Margarita; Nodarse, Jorge Fraga; Goodridge, Ivón Montano; Fidalgo, Lianet Monzote; Marin, Marcel; Van Der Auwera, Gert; Dujardin, Jean-Claude; Bernal, Iván Darío Velez; Muskus, Carlos

    2010-05-01

    Leishmania panamensis and Leishmania guyanensis are two species of the subgenus Viannia that are genetically very similar. Both parasites are usually associated with cutaneous leishmaniasis, but also have the potential to cause the mucocutaneous form of the disease. In addition, the study of foci and consequently the identification of vectors and probable reservoirs involved in transmission require a correct differentiation between both species, which is important at epidemiological level. We explored the possibility of identifying these species by using restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) in the gene coding for heat-shock protein 70 (hsp70). Previously, an hsp70 PCR-RFLP assay proved to be very effective in differentiating other Leishmania species when HaeIII is used as restriction enzyme. Based on hsp70 sequences analysis, BccI was found to generate species-specific fragments that can easily be recognized by agarose gel electrophoresis. Using the analysis of biopsies, scrapings, and parasite isolates previously grouped in a cluster comprising both L. panamensis and L. guyanensis, we showed that our approach allowed differentiation of both entities. This offers the possibility not only for identification of parasites in biological samples, but also to apply molecular epidemiology in certain countries of the New World, where several Leishmania species could coexist. Copyright 2009 Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Structural and thermodynamic basis of the inhibition of Leishmania major farnesyl diphosphate synthase by nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aripirala, Srinivas [Johns Hopkins University, 725 North Wolfe Street WBSB 605, Baltimore, MD 21210 (United States); Gonzalez-Pacanowska, Dolores [López-Neyra Institute of Parasitology and Biomedicine, 18001 Granada (Spain); Oldfield, Eric [University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Kaiser, Marcel [University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, CH-4003 Basel (Switzerland); Amzel, L. Mario, E-mail: mamzel@jhmi.edu [Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 N. Wolfe Street WBSB 604, Baltimore, MD 21205 (United States); Gabelli, Sandra B., E-mail: mamzel@jhmi.edu [Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 N. Wolfe Street WBSB 604, Baltimore, MD 21205 (United States); Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205 (United States); Johns Hopkins University, 725 North Wolfe Street WBSB 605, Baltimore, MD 21210 (United States)

    2014-03-01

    Structural insights into L. major farnesyl diphosphate synthase, a key enzyme in the mevalonate pathway, are described. Farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPPS) is an essential enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of sterols (cholesterol in humans and ergosterol in yeasts, fungi and trypanosomatid parasites) as well as in protein prenylation. It is inhibited by bisphosphonates, a class of drugs used in humans to treat diverse bone-related diseases. The development of bisphosphonates as antiparasitic compounds targeting ergosterol biosynthesis has become an important route for therapeutic intervention. Here, the X-ray crystallographic structures of complexes of FPPS from Leishmania major (the causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis) with three bisphosphonates determined at resolutions of 1.8, 1.9 and 2.3 Å are reported. Two of the inhibitors, 1-(2-hydroxy-2,2-diphosphonoethyl)-3-phenylpyridinium (300B) and 3-butyl-1-(2,2-diphosphonoethyl)pyridinium (476A), co-crystallize with the homoallylic substrate isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and three Ca{sup 2+} ions. A third inhibitor, 3-fluoro-1-(2-hydroxy-2,2-diphosphonoethyl)pyridinium (46I), was found to bind two Mg{sup 2+} ions but not IPP. Calorimetric studies showed that binding of the inhibitors is entropically driven. Comparison of the structures of L. major FPPS (LmFPPS) and human FPPS provides new information for the design of bisphosphonates that will be more specific for inhibition of LmFPPS. The asymmetric structure of the LmFPPS–46I homodimer indicates that binding of the allylic substrate to both monomers of the dimer results in an asymmetric dimer with one open and one closed homoallylic site. It is proposed that IPP first binds to the open site, which then closes, opening the site on the other monomer, which closes after binding the second IPP, leading to the symmetric fully occupied FPPS dimer observed in other structures.