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PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Mar 2016The aim of this study is to describe the major evolutionary historical events among Leishmania, sandflies, and the associated animal reservoirs in detail, in accordance... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study is to describe the major evolutionary historical events among Leishmania, sandflies, and the associated animal reservoirs in detail, in accordance with the geographical evolution of the Earth, which has not been previously discussed on a large scale.
METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
Leishmania and sandfly classification has always been a controversial matter, and the increasing number of species currently described further complicates this issue. Despite several hypotheses on the origin, evolution, and distribution of Leishmania and sandflies in the Old and New World, no consistent agreement exists regarding dissemination of the actors that play roles in leishmaniasis. For this purpose, we present here three centuries of research on sandflies and Leishmania descriptions, as well as a complete description of Leishmania and sandfly fossils and the emergence date of each Leishmania and sandfly group during different geographical periods, from 550 million years ago until now. We discuss critically the different approaches that were used for Leishmana and sandfly classification and their synonymies, proposing an updated classification for each species of Leishmania and sandfly. We update information on the current distribution and dispersion of different species of Leishmania (53), sandflies (more than 800 at genus or subgenus level), and animal reservoirs in each of the following geographical ecozones: Palearctic, Nearctic, Neotropic, Afrotropical, Oriental, Malagasy, and Australian. We propose an updated list of the potential and proven sandfly vectors for each Leishmania species in the Old and New World. Finally, we address a classical question about digenetic Leishmania evolution: which was the first host, a vertebrate or an invertebrate?
CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE
We propose an updated view of events that have played important roles in the geographical dispersion of sandflies, in relation to both the Leishmania species they transmit and the animal reservoirs of the parasites.
Topics: Animals; Biological Evolution; Disease Reservoirs; Fossils; History, 19th Century; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; History, Ancient; Insect Vectors; Leishmania; Leishmaniasis; Psychodidae
PubMed: 26937644
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004349 -
Parasite (Paris, France) 2019Leishmaniases still represent a global scourge and new therapeutic tools are necessary to replace the current expensive, difficult to administer treatments that induce... (Review)
Review
Leishmaniases still represent a global scourge and new therapeutic tools are necessary to replace the current expensive, difficult to administer treatments that induce numerous adverse effects and for which resistance is increasingly worrying. In this context, the particularly original organization of the Leishmania parasite in comparison to higher eukaryotes is a great advantage. It allows for the development of new, very specific, and thus non-cytotoxic treatments. Among these originalities, Leishmania cell death can be cited. Despite a classic pattern of apoptosis, key mammalian apoptotic proteins are not present in Leishmania, such as caspases, cell death receptors, and anti-apoptotic molecules. Recent studies have helped to develop a better understanding of parasite cell death, identifying new proteins or even new apoptotic pathways. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge on Leishmania cell death, describing its physiological roles and its phenotype, and discusses the involvement of various proteins: endonuclease G, metacaspase, aquaporin Li-BH3AQP, calpains, cysteine proteinase C, LmjHYD36 and Lmj.22.0600. From these data, potential apoptotic pathways are suggested. This review also offers tools to identify new Leishmania cell death effectors. Lastly, different approaches to use this knowledge for the development of new therapeutic tools are suggested: either inhibition of Leishmania cell death or activation of cell death for instance by treating cells with proteins or peptides involved in parasite death fused to a cell permeant peptide or encapsulated into a lipidic vector to target intra-macrophagic Leishmania cells.
Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Cell Death; Humans; Leishmania; Leishmaniasis; Metabolic Networks and Pathways; Phenotype; Psychodidae
PubMed: 31825305
DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2019071 -
Turkiye Parazitolojii Dergisi Jun 2019In all major parasite groups, new and surprising evidence is emerging every day about the subtlety, complexity and diversity of avoidance mechanisms from host immune... (Review)
Review
In all major parasite groups, new and surprising evidence is emerging every day about the subtlety, complexity and diversity of avoidance mechanisms from host immune system. In the course of millions of years of evolutionary process, mammalian and sand fly hosts have developed defense systems against , but has not only escaped from their hosts’ defense systems through complex counter-strategies, but has also managed to manipulate them to support their own survival and reproduction. In this study, ’s survival strategies used in the sand fly and mammalian hosts and the mechanisms that underlie these strategies will be summarized.
Topics: Animals; Leishmania; Mammals; Phlebotomus; Psychodidae
PubMed: 31204461
DOI: 10.4274/tpd.galenos.2019.6365 -
Parasitology Sep 2018In this review, we explore the state-of-the-art of sand fly relationships with microbiota, viruses and Leishmania, with particular emphasis on the vector immune... (Review)
Review
In this review, we explore the state-of-the-art of sand fly relationships with microbiota, viruses and Leishmania, with particular emphasis on the vector immune responses. Insect-borne diseases are a major public health problem in the world. Phlebotomine sand flies are proven vectors of several aetiological agents including viruses, bacteria and the trypanosomatid Leishmania, which are responsible for diseases such as viral encephalitis, bartonellosis and leishmaniasis, respectively. All metazoans in nature coexist intimately with a community of commensal microorganisms known as microbiota. The microbiota has a fundamental role in the induction, maturation and function of the host immune system, which can modulate host protection from pathogens and infectious diseases. We briefly review viruses of public health importance present in sand flies and revisit studies done on bacterial and fungal gut contents of these vectors. We bring this information into the context of sand fly development and immune responses. We highlight the immunity mechanisms that the insect utilizes to survive the potential threats involved in these interactions and discuss the recently discovered complex interactions among microbiota, sand fly, Leishmania and virus. Additionally, some of the alternative control strategies that could benefit from the current knowledge are considered.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Insect Control; Insect Vectors; Leishmania; Mice; Microbiota; Psychodidae; Public Health
PubMed: 29921334
DOI: 10.1017/S0031182018001014 -
Clinical Microbiology Reviews Jan 2018Carrion's disease (CD) is a neglected biphasic vector-borne illness related to . It is found in the Andean valleys and is transmitted mainly by members of the genus but... (Review)
Review
Carrion's disease (CD) is a neglected biphasic vector-borne illness related to . It is found in the Andean valleys and is transmitted mainly by members of the genus but also by blood transfusions and from mother to child. The acute phase, Oroya fever, presents severe anemia and fever. The lethality is high in the absence of adequate treatment, despite the organism being susceptible to most antibiotics. Partial immunity is developed after infection by , resulting in high numbers of asymptomatic carriers. Following infection there is the chronic phase, Peruvian warts, involving abnormal proliferation of the endothelial cells. Despite potentially being eradicable, CD has been expanded due to human migration and geographical expansion of the vector. Moreover, studies have demonstrated the risk of the development of antimicrobial resistance. These findings, together with the description of new species producing CD-like infections, the presence of undescribed potential vectors in new areas, the lack of adequate diagnostic tools and knowledge of the immunology and bacterial pathogenesis of CD, and poor international visibility, have led to the risk of increasing the potential expansion of resistant strains which will challenge current treatment schemes as well as the possible appearance of CD in areas where it is not endemic.
Topics: Animal Distribution; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bartonella; Bartonella Infections; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Insect Vectors; Psychodidae
PubMed: 29187394
DOI: 10.1128/CMR.00056-17 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2023is a zoonotic Old World parasite transmitted by Phlebotomine sand flies and causing cutaneous leishmaniasis in Ethiopia and Kenya. Despite a range of clinical...
is a zoonotic Old World parasite transmitted by Phlebotomine sand flies and causing cutaneous leishmaniasis in Ethiopia and Kenya. Despite a range of clinical manifestations and a high prevalence of treatment failure, is one of the most neglected species of the genus in terms of scientific attention. Here, we explored the genome diversity of by analyzing the genomes of twenty isolates from Ethiopia. Phylogenomic analyses identified two strains as interspecific hybrids involving as one parent and and respectively as the other parent. High levels of genome-wide heterozygosity suggest that these two hybrids are equivalent to F1 progeny that propagated mitotically since the initial hybridization event. Analyses of allelic read depths further revealed that the - hybrid was diploid and the - hybrid was triploid, as has been described for other interspecific hybrids. When focusing on , we show that this species is genetically highly diverse and consists of both asexually evolving strains and groups of recombining parasites. A remarkable observation is that some strains showed an extensive loss of heterozygosity across large regions of the nuclear genome, which likely arose from gene conversion/mitotic recombination. Hence, our prospection of genomics revealed new insights into the genomic consequences of both meiotic and mitotic recombination in .
Topics: Animals; Leishmania; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous; Psychodidae; Phylogeny; Nucleic Acid Hybridization
PubMed: 37153154
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1147998 -
Transactions of the Royal Society of... Sep 2023Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a parasitic vector-borne disease affecting mostly low- and middle-income countries. CL is endemic in Guatemala, where an increase in the... (Review)
Review
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a parasitic vector-borne disease affecting mostly low- and middle-income countries. CL is endemic in Guatemala, where an increase in the number of cases and incidence and a changing disease distribution in the past decade have been reported. Important research was conducted in Guatemala in the 1980s and 1990s to understand the epidemiology of CL and two Leishmania species were identified as the aetiologic agents. Several species of sand flies have been reported, five of which are naturally infected with Leishmania. Clinical trials conducted in the country evaluated different treatments against the disease and provided solid evidence for CL control strategies that are applicable worldwide. More recently, in the 2000s and 2010s, qualitative surveys were conducted to understand community perceptions of the disease and to highlight the challenges and enablers for disease control. However, limited recent data have been generated regarding the current CL situation in Guatemala, and key information necessary for effective disease control, such as incrimination of vectors and reservoirs, is still lacking. This review describes the current state of knowledge of CL in Guatemala, including the main parasite and sand fly species, disease reservoirs, diagnosis and control, as well as the perceptions of communities in endemic regions.
Topics: Animals; Guatemala; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous; Leishmania; Phlebotomus; Psychodidae; Leishmaniasis
PubMed: 37103337
DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/trad024 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2022Parasites of the genus , together with the genus , form a sister clade to the species-rich and medically important genus . Both species, and , are dixenous parasites...
Parasites of the genus , together with the genus , form a sister clade to the species-rich and medically important genus . Both species, and , are dixenous parasites of Neotropical porcupines. Almost 50 years after their first discovery, knowledge of their life cycle remains poor and their insect vectors are unknown. Because competent vectors of their closest phylogenetic relatives, genera and , are phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) and/or biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), we examined here the potential of both sand flies and biting midges to transmit parasites. The insects ( and ) were exposed to parasites through the chicken skin membrane and dissected at various time intervals post bloodmeal. Potentially infected females were also allowed to feed on the ears of anaesthetized BALB/c mice and the presence of parasite DNA was subsequently confirmed in the mice by PCR. did not survive defecation in or , suggesting that these sand fly species are unlikely to serve as natural vectors of this parasite. Similarly, infections were lost in midges. In contrast, mature infections developed in 51-61% of females, 7.3% of females and 7.7% of females. In all three vector species, colonized predominantly Malpighian tubules and produced metacyclic infective forms. Transmission of to BALB/c mice was demonstrated the prediuresis of females. This mode of transmission, as well the colonization of Malpighian tubules as the dominant tissue of the vector, is unique among trypanosomatids. In conclusion, we demonstrated the vector competence of for but not for , and further studies are needed to evaluate competence of other Neotropical vectors for these neglected parasites.
Topics: Animals; Female; Insect Vectors; Leishmania; Life Cycle Stages; Mice; Phylogeny; Psychodidae
PubMed: 36034718
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.981071 -
MBio Dec 2022Genetic exchange between different strains in the sand fly vector has been experimentally demonstrated and is supported by population genetic studies. In nature,...
Genetic exchange between different strains in the sand fly vector has been experimentally demonstrated and is supported by population genetic studies. In nature, opportunities for interstrain mating are restricted to flies biting multiply infected hosts or through multiple bites of different hosts. In contrast, self-mating could occur in any infected sand fly. By crossing two recombinant lines derived from the same Leishmania major strain, each expressing a different drug-resistance marker, self-hybridization in L. major was confirmed in a natural sand fly vector, , and in frequencies comparable to interstrain crosses. We provide the first high resolution, whole-genome sequencing analysis of large numbers of selfing progeny, their parents, and parental subclones. Genetic exchange consistent with classical meiosis is supported by the biallelic inheritance of the rare homozygous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that arose by mutation during the generation of the parental clones. In contrast, heterozygous SNPs largely failed to be transmitted in Mendelian ratios for reasons not understood. SNPs that were heterozygous in both parents, however, recombined to produce homozygous alleles in some hybrids. For trisomic chromosomes present in both parents, transmittal to the progeny was only altered by self-hybridization, involving a gain or loss of somy in frequencies predicted by a meiotic process. Whole-genome polyploidization was also observed in the selfing progeny. Thus, self-hybridization in , with its potential to occur in any infected sand fly, may be an important source of karyotype variation, loss of heterozygosity, and functional diversity. are parasitic protozoa that cause a wide spectrum of diseases collectively known as the leishmaniases. Sexual reproduction in has been proposed as an important source of genetic diversity and has been formally demonstrated to occur inside the sand fly vector midgut. Nevertheless, in the wild, opportunities for genetic exchange between different species or strains are restricted by the capacity of different strains to colonize the same sand fly. In this work, we report the first high resolution, whole-genome sequence analysis of intraclonal genetic exchange as a type of self-mating in Our data reveal that self-hybridization can occur with comparable frequency as interstrain mating under experimental lab conditions, leading to important genomic alterations that can potentially take place within every naturally infected sand fly.
Topics: Animals; Leishmania major; Phlebotomus; Psychodidae; Reproduction; Mutation
PubMed: 36394334
DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02858-22 -
PLoS Pathogens Mar 2023Toscana virus (TOSV) (Bunyavirales, Phenuiviridae, Phlebovirus, Toscana phlebovirus) and other related human pathogenic arboviruses are transmitted by phlebotomine sand...
Toscana virus (TOSV) (Bunyavirales, Phenuiviridae, Phlebovirus, Toscana phlebovirus) and other related human pathogenic arboviruses are transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies. TOSV has been reported in nations bordering the Mediterranean Sea among other regions. Infection can result in febrile illness as well as meningitis and encephalitis. Understanding vector-arbovirus interactions is crucial to improving our knowledge of how arboviruses spread, and in this context, immune responses that control viral replication play a significant role. Extensive research has been conducted on mosquito vector immunity against arboviruses, with RNA interference (RNAi) and specifically the exogenous siRNA (exo-siRNA) pathway playing a critical role. However, the antiviral immunity of phlebotomine sand flies is less well understood. Here we were able to show that the exo-siRNA pathway is active in a Phlebotomus papatasi-derived cell line. Following TOSV infection, distinctive 21 nucleotide virus-derived small interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs) were detected. We also identified the exo-siRNA effector Ago2 in this cell line, and silencing its expression rendered the exo-siRNA pathway largely inactive. Thus, our data show that this pathway is active as an antiviral response against a sand fly transmitted bunyavirus, TOSV.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Sandfly fever Naples virus; Phlebotomus; Psychodidae; RNA Interference; Phlebovirus; Arboviruses; RNA, Small Interfering
PubMed: 36996243
DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011283