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Abstract
BackgroundTrypanosomatids of the genus Leishmania are parasites of mammals or reptiles transmitted by bloodsucking dipterans. Many species of these flagellates cause important human diseases with clinical symptoms ranging from skin sores to life-threatening damage of visceral organs. The genus Leishmania contains four subgenera: Leishmania, Sauroleishmania, Viannia, and Mundinia. The last subgenus has been established recently and remains understudied, although Mundinia contains human-infecting species. In addition, it is interesting from the evolutionary viewpoint, representing the earliest branch within the genus and possibly with a different type of vector. Here we analyzed the genomes of L. (M.) martiniquensis, L. (M.) enriettii and L. (M.) macropodum to better understand the biology and evolution of these parasites.ResultsAll three genomes analyzed were approximately of the same size (~ 30 Mb) and similar to that of L. (Sauroleishmania) tarentolae, but smaller than those of the members of subgenera Leishmania and Viannia, or the genus Endotrypanum (~ 32 Mb). This difference was explained by domination of gene losses over gains and contractions over expansions at the Mundinia node, although only a few of these genes could be identified. The analysis predicts significant changes in the Mundinia cell surface architecture, with the most important ones relating to losses of LPG-modifying side chain galactosyltransferases and arabinosyltransferases, as well as β-amastins. Among other important changes were gene family contractions for the oxygen-sensing adenylate cyclases and FYVE zinc finger-containing proteins.ConclusionsWe suggest that adaptation of Mundinia to different vectors and hosts has led to alternative host-parasite relationships and, thereby, made some proteins redundant. Thus, the evolution of genomes in the genus Leishmania and, in particular, in the subgenus Mundinia was mainly shaped by host (or vector) switches.
Highlights
Trypanosomatids of the genus Leishmania are parasites of mammals or reptiles transmitted by bloodsucking dipterans
In the current taxonomical system, the dixenous genera Endotrypanum, Leishmania, Paraleishmania are united with the monoxenous genera Borovskyia, Crithidia, Leptomonas, Lotmaria, Novymonas, and Zelonia into the subfamily Leishmaniinae [11, 12], while the dixenous genus Phytomonas is included into subfamily Phytomonadinae along with the monoxenous genera Herpetomonas and Lafontella [13]
Genomic reads coverage analysis (Additional file 10: Figure S10) indicates that coverage is fairly uniform across Mundinia genome assemblies, with the regions of coverage close to median values combined together accounting for ~ 91, 89 and 80% of genome assembly length for L. (M.) martiniquensis, L. (M.) macropodum, and L. (M.) enriettii, respectively
Summary
Trypanosomatids of the genus Leishmania are parasites of mammals or reptiles transmitted by bloodsucking dipterans Many species of these flagellates cause important human diseases with clinical symptoms ranging from skin sores to life-threatening damage of visceral organs. The last subgenus has been established recently and remains understudied, Mundinia contains human-infecting species It is interesting from the evolutionary viewpoint, representing the earliest branch within the genus and possibly with a different type of vector. Obligate flagellate parasites of the family Trypanosomatidae infect insects, leeches, vertebrates, and plants [1,2,3] They have one (monoxenous species) or two hosts (dixenous species) in their life cycle [4,5,6].
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