Explore the vast range of titles available.

BACKGROUND: The taxonomic status of Leishmania (L.) killicki, a parasite that causes chronic cutaneous leishmaniasis, is not well defined yet. Indeed, some researchers suggested that this taxon could be included in the L. tropica complex, whereas others considered it as a distinct phylogenetic complex. To try to solve this taxonomic issue we carried out a detailed study on the evolutionary history of L. killicki relative to L. tropica. METHODS: Thirty-five L. killicki and 25 L. tropica strains isolated from humans and originating from several countries were characterized using the MultiLocus Enzyme Electrophoresis (MLEE) and the MultiLocus Sequence Typing (MLST) approaches. RESULTS: The results of the genetic and phylogenetic analyses strongly support the hypothesis that L. killicki belongs to the L. tropica complex. Our data suggest that L. killicki emerged from a single founder event and that it evolved independently from L. tropica. However, they do not validate the hypothesis that L. killicki is a distinct complex. Therefore, we suggest naming this taxon L. killicki (synonymous L. tropica) until further epidemiological and phylogenetic studies justify the L. killicki denomination. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides taxonomic and phylogenetic information on L. killicki and improves our knowledge on the evolutionary history of this taxon.

An entomological survey was carried out in 2007 in two Pyrenean counties of Lleida province (north-eastern Spain), where cases of autochthonous canine leishmaniasis have been recently reported. Phlebotomus ariasi and P. perniciosus , vectors of Leishmania infantum in the Mediterranean area, were captured. The aim of the present study was to compare these phlebotomine populations with others captured in known leishmaniasis foci in Europe. Populations of these species were studied by analysing the polymorphism of seven enzymatic systems (HK, PGI, PGM, MDH, 6PGD, FUM and ACO) and compared with other specimens from endemic regions of France, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain captured in other campaigns, and also with previously published results. Phlebotomus ariasi was more polymorphic than P. perniciosus . Only the ACO locus had diagnostic alleles, but some other alleles show high characteristic frequencies for each species. The neighbour-joining trees separated two population groups in both species. On the basis of the isoenzyme study results, sand fly populations of the Pyrenean region in Lleida province are closely related to those of other nearby leishmaniasis endemic regions in France and Spain. Une enquête entomologique a été réalisée en 2007 dans deux comtés pyrénéens de la province de Lleida (Nord-Est de l’Espagne), où des cas de leishmaniose canine autochtone ont été signalés récemment. Phlebotomus ariasi et P. perniciosus , vecteurs de Leishmania infantum dans la région méditerranéenne, ont été capturés. Le but de la présente étude était de comparer ces populations de phlébotomes avec d’autres capturées dans des foyers connus de leishmaniose en Europe. Les populations de ces espèces ont été étudiées en analysant le polymorphisme de sept systèmes enzymatiques (HK, PGI, PGM, MDH, 6PGD, FUM et ACO) et comparées avec d’autres spécimens de régions endémiques de France, Italie, Malte, Portugal et Espagne capturés dans d’autres campagnes, et aussi avec des résultats déjà publiés. Phlebotomus ariasi était plus polymorphe que P. perniciosus . Seul le locus ACO possède des allèles diagnostiques, mais certains allèles présentent des fréquences caractéristiques élevées pour chaque espèce. Les arbres produits par Neighbour-joining ont séparé deux groupes de populations chez les deux espèces. Sur la base des résultats de l’étude des isoenzymes, les populations de phlébotomes de la région pyrénéenne dans la province de Lleida sont étroitement liées à celles des autres régions endémiques de leishmaniose voisines en France et en Espagne.

Isozyme patterns for PGI (phosphoglucoisomerase), MDH (malate dehydrogenase), EST (esterase) and SOD (superoxide dismutase) were evaluated in 36 accessions of eight Trifolium species, namely T. incarnatum, T. polymorphum, T. pratense, T. repens, T. resupinatum, T. riograndense, T. subterraneum and T. vesiculosum. Similarity between species and accessions was estimated by Jaccard’s similarity index based on presence or absence of bands. The UPGMA method was utilized for the groupings and dendrogram construction with the aid of the NTSYS-PC program. Interspecific similarity was low (J⩽0.351). The dendrogram presented eight groups, each one corresponding to a taxonomic species. Most of the accessions of the same species grouped together at J>0.50, except T. riograndense, T. repens and T. pratense. These three species showed the lowest similarity between their accessions, reflecting higher intraspecific variation. Some accession-specific bands were identified. The species groupings are consistent with traditional taxonomic species delimitation. Therefore isozyme patterns, especially when several systems are employed, are useful and reliable biochemical markers for the taxonomic delimitation and characterization of Trifolium germplasm.

We have characterized diverse strains or species of Leishmania isolated in humans that are currently circulating throughout Peru, by means of isoenzymatic characterization, kDNA analysis by restriction enzymes, and multiplex PCR assay. The cluster analysis gave five groups. Cluster 1 includes L. (L.) donovani together with the isolates LP4 and LP7, forming the donovani complex. Thus, this complex corresponds to the New World visceral form, L. (L.) chagasi. Cluster 2 is formed by the isolates LP1-LP3, LP6, LP10, LP9, and LP11, phylogenetically intermediate between Cluster 1 and Cluster 3, or they can be treated as hybrids. Cluster 3 is divided into two subgroups: one formed by L. (V.) peruviana, together with the isolates LP14 and LP5, and the second one formed by L. (V.) brazilensis and the isolate LP8. These two subgroups form part of the brazilensis complex. The three strains of L. (L.) infantum [L. (L.) infantum I and II and la LSI] make up Cluster 4. In Cluster 5, we include the three Mexican strains (LM1-LM3) forming one subgroup while we would place L. (L.) amazonensis in another subgroup. These two subgroups would comprise the complex mexicana.