First evidence of intraclonal genetic exchange in trypanosomatids using two Leishmania infantum fluorescent transgenic clones.

Publisher: Public Library of Science Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101291488 Publication Model: eCollection Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1935-2735 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 19352727 NLM ISO Abbreviation: PLoS Negl Trop Dis Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: San Francisco, CA : Public Library of Science

Leishmania infantum/*genetics ; Leishmania infantum/*physiology ; Phlebotomus/*parasitology; Animals ; Digestive System/parasitology ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Hybridization, Genetic ; Leishmaniasis, Visceral ; Life Cycle Stages ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C

Background: The mode of reproduction in Leishmania spp has been argued to be essentially clonal. However, recent data (genetic analysis of populations and co-infections in sand flies) have proposed the existence of a non-obligate sexual cycle in the extracellular stage of the parasite within the sand fly vector. In this article we propose the existence of intraclonal genetic exchange in the natural vector of Leishmania infantum.
Methodology/principal Findings: We have developed transgenic L. infantum lines expressing drug resistance markers linked to green and red fluorescent reporters. We hypothesized whether those cells with identical genotype can recognize each other and mate. Both types of markers were successfully exchanged within the sand fly midgut of the natural vector Phlebotomus perniciosus when individuals from these species were fed with a mixture of parental clones. Using the yellow phenotype and drug resistance markers, we provide evidence for genetic exchange in L. infantum. The hybrid progeny appeared to be triploid based on DNA content analysis. The hybrid clone analyzed was stable throughout the complete parasite life cycle. The progress of infections by the hybrid clone in BALB/c mice caused a reduction in parasite loads in both spleen and liver, and provided weight values similar to those obtained with uninfected mice. Spleen arginase activity was also significantly reduced relative to parental strains.
Conclusions/significance: A L. infantum hybrid lineage was obtained from intraclonal genetic exchange within the midgut of the natural vector, suggesting the ability of this parasite to recognize the same genotype and mate. The yellow hybrid progeny is stable throughout the whole parasite life cycle but with a slower virulence, which correlates well with the lower arginase activity detected both in vitro and in vivo infections.

Erratum in: PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2016 May;10(5):e0004741. (PMID: 27187076)

Mol Biochem Parasitol. 1999 Oct 25;104(1):1-9. (PMID: 10589977)
PLoS Genet. 2013;9(7):e1003672. (PMID: 23935521)
Mol Biochem Parasitol. 2003 May;128(2):217-28. (PMID: 12742588)
Arch Inst Pasteur Tunis. 1993 Jul-Oct;70(3-4):375-82. (PMID: 7802492)
Curr Biol. 2014 Jan 20;24(2):181-186. (PMID: 24388851)
Mol Biochem Parasitol. 2000 May;108(2):249-52. (PMID: 10838227)
Adv Parasitol. 2007;64:1-109. (PMID: 17499100)
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2012;6(11):e1927. (PMID: 23209866)
Science. 2005 Jul 15;309(5733):436-42. (PMID: 16020728)
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2012;6(6):e1684. (PMID: 22720104)
Science. 2009 Apr 10;324(5924):265-8. (PMID: 19359589)
Mol Biochem Parasitol. 1992 Apr;51(2):189-99. (PMID: 1349422)
Cell Host Microbe. 2010 Jul 22;8(1):86-99. (PMID: 20638645)
Infect Immun. 2005 Nov;73(11):7366-74. (PMID: 16239535)
Trends Parasitol. 2013 Jun;29(6):264-9. (PMID: 23602631)
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Mar 1;108(9):3671-6. (PMID: 21321215)
Lancet Infect Dis. 2011 Apr;11(4):322-5. (PMID: 21453873)
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Nov 27;109(48):E3305-13. (PMID: 22949662)
J Immunol. 1993 Jul 15;151(2):907-15. (PMID: 8335918)
Parasite Immunol. 1985 Sep;7(5):545-55. (PMID: 3877902)
Infect Genet Evol. 2011 Dec;11(8):2113-8. (PMID: 21558020)
Mol Biochem Parasitol. 1991 Jun;46(2):253-63. (PMID: 1656255)
Science. 1984 Mar 30;223(4643):1417-9. (PMID: 6701528)
Int J Parasitol. 2006 Nov;36(13):1383-8. (PMID: 16930606)
Genome Res. 2011 Dec;21(12):2129-42. (PMID: 22038252)
J Eukaryot Microbiol. 1997 Sep-Oct;44(5):408-11. (PMID: 9304809)
Parasit Vectors. 2009 Sep 21;2(1):43. (PMID: 19772562)
Parassitologia. 1987 May-Dec;29(2-3):165-73. (PMID: 3508260)
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1993 Feb 15;90(4):1599-603. (PMID: 8381972)
PLoS Genet. 2014 Jan;10(1):e1004092. (PMID: 24453988)
Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 1997 Sep-Oct;92(5):581-2. (PMID: 9566221)
Mol Biochem Parasitol. 2009 May;165(1):48-56. (PMID: 19393161)
Parasit Vectors. 2008 Feb 25;1(1):4. (PMID: 18298832)
Mol Microbiol. 2012 Oct;86(1):15-23. (PMID: 22857263)
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Jun 23;106(25):10224-9. (PMID: 19497885)
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2007 Mar;76(3):573-8. (PMID: 17360886)
Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1992 Mar-Apr;86(2):141-8. (PMID: 1440772)
Trends Parasitol. 2012 Sep;28(9):370-6. (PMID: 22789456)
Mol Biochem Parasitol. 2005 Sep;143(1):12-9. (PMID: 15941603)
PLoS One. 2011;6(5):e19851. (PMID: 21637755)

Date Created: 20140905 Date Completed: 20151214 Latest Revision: 20211021

20240829

PMC4154677

10.1371/journal.pntd.0003075

25188587