The gp63 Gene Cluster Is Highly Polymorphic in Natural Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis Populations, but Functional Sites Are Conserved.

ABSTRACT: GP63 or leishmanolysin is the major surface protease of Leishmania spp. involved in parasite virulence and host cell interaction. As such, GP63 is a potential target of eventual vaccines against these protozoa. In the current study we evaluate the polymorphism of gp63 in Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis isolated from two sets of American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) cases from Corte de Pedra, Brazil, including 35 cases diagnosed between 1994 and 2001 and 6 cases diagnosed between 2008 and 2011. Parasites were obtained from lesions by needle aspiration and cultivation. Genomic DNA was extracted, and 405 bp fragments, including sequences encoding the putative macrophage interacting sites, were amplified from gp63 genes of all isolates. DNA amplicons were cloned into plasmid vectors and t

SUBMITTER: Medina LS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5029894 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature