The development of <it>Leishmania turanica</it> in sand flies and competition with <it>L. major</it>

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Central Asian foci of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniases, mixed infections of <it>Leishmania turanica</it> and <it>L. major</it> have been found in a reservoir host (the great gerbil, <it>Rhombomys opim...

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Main Authors: Chajbullinova Alsu, Votypka Jan, Sadlova Jovana, Kvapilova Katerina, Seblova Veronika, Kreisinger Jakub, Jirku Milan, Sanjoba Chizu, Gantuya Sambuu, Matsumoto Yoshitsugu, Volf Petr
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2012-10-01
Series:Parasites & Vectors
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Online Access:http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/5/1/219
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Summary:<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Central Asian foci of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniases, mixed infections of <it>Leishmania turanica</it> and <it>L. major</it> have been found in a reservoir host (the great gerbil, <it>Rhombomys opimus</it>) as well as in the sand fly vector <it>Phlebotomus papatasi</it>, but hybrids between these two <it>Leishmania</it> species have never been reported. In addition, the role of sand fly species other than <it>P. papatasi</it> in <it>L. turanica</it> circulation is not clear.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this work we compared the development of <it>L. turanica</it> in three sand fly species belonging to different subgenera. In addition, we studied experimental co-infections of sand flies by both <it>Leishmania</it> species using GFP transfected <it>L. turanica</it> (MRHO/MN/08/BZ18(GFP<sup>+</sup>)) and RFP transfected <it>L. major</it> (WHOM/IR/-/173-DsRED(RFP<sup>+</sup>)). The possibility of <it>Leishmania</it> genetic exchange during the vectorial part of the life cycle was studied using flow cytometry combined with immunofluorescent microscopy.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Late-stage infections of <it>L. turanica</it> with frequent colonization of the stomodeal valve were observed in the specific vector <it>P.</it> (<it>Phlebotomus</it>) <it>papatasi</it> and in the permissive vector <it>P.</it> (<it>Adlerius</it>) <it>arabicus</it>. On the other hand, in <it>P. sergenti</it> (the specific vector of <it>L. tropica</it>), <it>L. turanica</it> promatigotes were present only until the defecation of bloodmeal remnants. In their natural vector <it>P. papatasi</it>, <it>L. turanica</it> and <it>L. major</it> 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 <it>L. major / L. turanica</it> hybrids in the experimental co-infection of <it>P. papatasi</it> and <it>P. duboscqi</it>.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>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 <it>Leishmania</it> species developed well in <it>P. papatasi</it> and <it>P. duboscqi</it> and did not outcompete each other, no genetic exchange was found. However, the ability of <it>L. turanica</it> to establish late-stage infections in these specific vectors of <it>L. major</it> suggests that the lipophosphoglycan of this species must be identical or similar to that of <it>L. major</it>.</p>
ISSN:1756-3305