KDNA Genetic Signatures Obtained by LSSP-PCR Analysis of Leishmania

Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) caused by species from the Leishmania donovani complex is the most severe form of the disease, lethal if untreated. VL caused by Leishmania infantum is a zoonosis with an increasing number of human cases and millions of dogs infected in the Old and the New World. In this...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2012-08, Vol.7 (8), p.e43363
Main Authors: Alvarenga, Janaína Sousa Campos, Ligeiro, Carla Maia, Gontijo, Célia Maria Ferreira, Cortes, Sofia, Campino, Lenea, Vago, Annamaria Ravara, Melo, Maria Norma
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Genetic aspects
Genetic polymorphisms
Zoonoses
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) caused by species from the Leishmania donovani complex is the most severe form of the disease, lethal if untreated. VL caused by Leishmania infantum is a zoonosis with an increasing number of human cases and millions of dogs infected in the Old and the New World. In this study, L. infantum (syn. L.chagasi) strains were isolated from human and canine VL cases. The strains were obtained from endemic areas from Brazil and Portugal and their genetic polymorphism was ascertained using the LSSP-PCR (Low-Stringency Single Specific Primer PCR) technique for analyzing the kinetoplastid DNA (kDNA) minicircles hypervariable region. LSSP-PCR profiles obtained by analysis of L. infantum kDNA hypervariable region of parasites isolated from human cases and infected dogs from Brazil and Portugal exhibited a genetic correlation among isolates originated from the same reservoir, human or canine. However, no association has been detected among the kDNA signatures and the geographical origin of L. infantum strains.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0043363