This site uses cookies, tags, and tracking settings to store information that help give you the very best browsing experience. Dismiss this warning

Characterization of Leishmania (Leishmania) waltoni n.sp. (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae), the Parasite Responsible for Diffuse Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in the Dominican Republic

Jeffrey Shaw Parasitology Department, Biomedical Sciences Institute, São Paulo University, São Paulo, Brazil; French National Reference Centre on Leishmaniasis, Montpellier University, Montpellier, France; Biology Department, BioSciences Institute, São Paulo University, São Paulo, Brazil; Tropical Medicine Nucleus, Pará Federal University, Brazil; School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, England

Search for other papers by Jeffrey Shaw in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Francine Pratlong Parasitology Department, Biomedical Sciences Institute, São Paulo University, São Paulo, Brazil; French National Reference Centre on Leishmaniasis, Montpellier University, Montpellier, France; Biology Department, BioSciences Institute, São Paulo University, São Paulo, Brazil; Tropical Medicine Nucleus, Pará Federal University, Brazil; School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, England

Search for other papers by Francine Pratlong in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Lucile Floeter-Winter Parasitology Department, Biomedical Sciences Institute, São Paulo University, São Paulo, Brazil; French National Reference Centre on Leishmaniasis, Montpellier University, Montpellier, France; Biology Department, BioSciences Institute, São Paulo University, São Paulo, Brazil; Tropical Medicine Nucleus, Pará Federal University, Brazil; School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, England

Search for other papers by Lucile Floeter-Winter in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Edna Ishikawa Parasitology Department, Biomedical Sciences Institute, São Paulo University, São Paulo, Brazil; French National Reference Centre on Leishmaniasis, Montpellier University, Montpellier, France; Biology Department, BioSciences Institute, São Paulo University, São Paulo, Brazil; Tropical Medicine Nucleus, Pará Federal University, Brazil; School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, England

Search for other papers by Edna Ishikawa in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Fouad El Baidouri Parasitology Department, Biomedical Sciences Institute, São Paulo University, São Paulo, Brazil; French National Reference Centre on Leishmaniasis, Montpellier University, Montpellier, France; Biology Department, BioSciences Institute, São Paulo University, São Paulo, Brazil; Tropical Medicine Nucleus, Pará Federal University, Brazil; School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, England

Search for other papers by Fouad El Baidouri in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Christophe Ravel Parasitology Department, Biomedical Sciences Institute, São Paulo University, São Paulo, Brazil; French National Reference Centre on Leishmaniasis, Montpellier University, Montpellier, France; Biology Department, BioSciences Institute, São Paulo University, São Paulo, Brazil; Tropical Medicine Nucleus, Pará Federal University, Brazil; School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, England

Search for other papers by Christophe Ravel in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
, and
Jean-Pierre Dedet Parasitology Department, Biomedical Sciences Institute, São Paulo University, São Paulo, Brazil; French National Reference Centre on Leishmaniasis, Montpellier University, Montpellier, France; Biology Department, BioSciences Institute, São Paulo University, São Paulo, Brazil; Tropical Medicine Nucleus, Pará Federal University, Brazil; School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, England

Search for other papers by Jean-Pierre Dedet in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
Restricted access

Leishmania parasites isolated, between 1979 and 1988 by the late Bryce Walton, from Dominican Republic (DR) patients with diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis, were characterized using a panel of 12 isoenzymes, 23 monoclonal antibodies, small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSu rDNA), and multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA). The isoenzyme and monoclonal antibody profiles and the MLSA results showed that the Dominican Republic parasites were distinct from other described Leishmania species. This new species belongs to the mexicana complex, which is distributed in central and parts of northern South America. It is suggested that the parasites uniqueness from other members of the mexicana complex is related to it being isolated on an island for millions of years. If Leishmania (Leishmania) waltoni fails to adapt to some imported mammal, such as the house rat, it will be the only Leishmania to be classified as an endangered species. The excessive destruction of habitats on Hispaniola threatens the survival of its vectors and presumed natural reservoirs, such as the rodent hutias and the small insectivorous mammal solenodon. The concept of Leishmania species is discussed in the light of recent evaluations on criteria for defining bacterial species.

Author Notes

* Address correspondence to Jeffrey Shaw, Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciêncas Biomédicas II, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes 1374, São Paulo, 05508-000 SP, Brazil, E-mail: jayusp@hotmail.com or Jean-Pierre Dedet, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, CHRU de Montpellier, 39, Avenue Charles Flahault, 34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France, E-mail: parasito@univ-montp1.fr

Financial support: This study was financially supported by Wellcome Trust, The Brazilian Research Council (CNPq), São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP). The National Reference Centre for Leishmaniasis of Montpellier receives financial support from the Institut National de Veille sanitaire, French Ministry of Public Health.

Authors' addresses: Jeffrey Shaw, Parasitology Department, Biomedical Sciences Institute, São Paulo University, São Paulo, Brazil, E-mail: jayusp@hotmail.com. Francine Pratlong, Christophe Ravel and Jean-Pierre Dedet, French National Reference Centre on Leishmaniasis, CNRS 5290 - IRD 224, Montpellier University, 1&2 (UMR MiVEGEC), Montpellier, France, E-mails: f-pratlong@chu-montpellier.fr, christophe.ravel@univ-montp1.fr, and parasito@univ-montp1.fr. Lucile Floeter-Winter, Biology Department, BioSciences Institute, São Paulo University, São Paulo, Brazil, E-mail: lucile@ib.usp.br. Edna Ishikawa, Tropical Medicine Nucleus, Pará Federal University, Brazil, E-mail: ishikawa@ufpa.br. Fouad El Baidouri, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, England, E-mail: elbaidourifouad@gmail.com.

  • 1.

    Lainson R, Shaw JJ, 2005. 17 New World leishmaniasis. Cox FEG, Kreier JP, Wakelin D, eds. Topley and Wilson's Microbiology and Microbial Infections. London, Sydney, Auckland: Hodder Arnold, 313–349.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 2.

    Bogaert-Diaz H, Rojas RF, De Leon A, Martinez D, Quimones M, 1975. Leishmaniasis tegumentaria Americana. Reporte de los primeros tres casos. Forma anergica en tres hermanos. Revista Dominicana de Dermatologia 9: 19–33.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 3.

    Johnson RN, Young DG, Butler JF, Bogaert-Diaz H, 1992. Possible determination of the vector and reservoir of leishmaniasis in the Dominican Republic. Am J Trop Med Hyg 46: 282–287.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 4.

    Barker DC, Arnot DE, Butcher J, 1982. DNA characterization as a taxonomic tool for identification of kinetoplastic flagellate protozoans. Biochemical characterization of Leishmania: Proceedings of a Workshop held at the Pan American Health Organization, December 9–11, 1980, Washington, DC, 139–180.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 5.

    Schnur LF, Walton BC, Bogaert-Diaz H, 1983. On the identity of the parasite causing diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Dominican Republic. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 77: 756–762.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 6.

    Hennig W, 1965. Phylogenetic systematics. Ann Rev Ent 10: 97–116.

  • 7.

    Walton BC, Shaw JJ, Lainson R, 1977. Observations on the in vitro cultivation of Leishmania braziliensis. J Parasitol 63: 1118–1119.

  • 8.

    McMahon Pratt D, Bennett E, Grimaldi G, Jaffe CL, 1985. Subspecies and species-specific antigens of Leishmania mexicana characterized by monoclonal antibodies. J Immunol 134: 1935–1940.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 9.

    McMahon-Pratt D, Bennett E, David JR, 1982. Monoclonal antibodies that distinguish subspecies of Leishmania braziliensis. J Immunol 129: 926–927.

  • 10.

    Jaffe CL, McMahon-Pratt D, 1983. Monoclonal antibodies specific for Leishmania tropica. I. Characterization of antigens associated with stage- and species-specific determinants. J Immunol 131: 1987–1993.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 11.

    Jaffe CL, Bennett E, Grimaldi G Jr, McMahon-Pratt D, 1984. Production and characterization of species-specific monoclonal antibodies against Leishmania donovani for immunodiagnosis. J Immunol 133: 440–447.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 12.

    de Ibarra AA, Howard JG, Snary D, 1982. Monoclonal antibodies to Leishmania tropica major: specificities and antigen location. Parasitology 85: 523–531.

  • 13.

    Hanham CA, Shaw JJ, Lainson R, 1991. Monoclonal antibodies that react with Leishmania (Viannia) naiffi. J Parasitol 77: 680–687.

  • 14.

    Hanham CA, Shaw JJ, Lainson R, McMahon-Pratt D, 1990. Production of a specific monoclonal antibody for the identification of Leishmania (Leishmania) venezuelensis. Am J Trop Med Hyg 42: 453–459.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 15.

    Shaw JJ, Ishikawa EA, Lainson R, 1989. A rapid and sensitive method for the identification of Leishmania with monoclonal antibodies using fluorescein-labelled avidin. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 83: 783–784.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 16.

    Uliana SR, Nelson K, Beverley SM, Camargo EP, Floeter-Winter LM, 1994. Discrimination amongst Leishmania by polymerase chain reaction and hybridization with small subunit ribosomal DNA derived oligonucleotides. J Eukaryot Microbiol 41: 324–330.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 17.

    Uliana SR, Ishikawa E, Stempliuk VA, de Souza A, Shaw JJ, Floeter-Winter LM, 2000. Geographical distribution of neotropical Leishmania of the subgenus Leishmania analysed by ribosomal oligonucleotide probes. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 94: 261–264.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 18.

    El Baidouri F, Diancourt L, Berry V, Chevenet F, Pratlong F, Marty P, Ravel C, 2013. Genetic structure and evolution of the Leishmania genus in Africa and Eurasia: what does MLSA tell us. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 7: e2255.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 19.

    Guindon S, Dufayard JF, Lefort V, Anisimova M, Hordijk W, Gascuel O, 2010. New algorithms and methods to estimate maximum-likelihood phylogenies: assessing the performance of PhyML 3.0. Syst Biol 59: 307–321.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 20.

    Guindon S, Gascuel O, 2003. A simple, fast, and accurate algorithm to estimate large phylogenies by maximum likelihood. Syst Biol 52: 696–704.

  • 21.

    Armijos RX, Thomaz-Soccol V, Lanotte G, Racines J, Pratlong F, Rioux JA, 1995. Analyse chimiotaxonomique de vingt-deux souches de Leishmania isolées au Nord-ouest de l'Equateur. Parasite 2: 301–305.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 22.

    Thomaz-Soccol V, Lanotte G, Rioux JA, Pratlong F, Martini-Dumas A, Serres E, 1993. Phylogenetic taxonomy of New World Leishmania. Ann Parasitol Hum Comp 68: 104–106.

  • 23.

    Shaw JJ, 1994. Taxonomy of the genus Leishmania: present and future trends and their implications. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 89: 471–478.

  • 24.

    Walton BC, Brooks WH, Arjona I, 1972. Serodiagnosis of American leishmaniasis by indirect fluorescent antibody test. Am J Trop Med Hyg 21: 296–299.

  • 25.

    Walton BC, Valverde L, 1979. Racial differences in espundia. Ann Trop Med Parasitol 73: 23–29.

  • 26.

    Gonzalez S, Huddart D, Bennett MR, Gonzalez-Huesca A, 2006. Human footprints in Central Mexico older than 40,000 years ago. Quat Sci Rev 25: 201–222.

  • 27.

    Andrade Filho JD, Galati EA, Brazil RP, 2009. Review of American fossil Phlebotominae (Diptera: Psychodidae) with a description of two new species. J Med Entomol 46: 969–979.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 28.

    Mann P, Draper G, Lewis JF, 1991. An overview of the geologic and tectonic development of Hispaniola. Spec Pap Geol Soc Am 262: 1–28.

  • 29.

    Woods CA, 1981. Last endemic mammals in Hispaniola. Oryx 16: 146–152.

  • 30.

    Fraga J, Montalvo AM, De Doncker S, Dujardin JC, Van der Auwera G, 2010. Phylogeny of Leishmania species based on the heat-shock protein 70 gene. Infect Genet Evol 10: 238–245.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 31.

    Momen H, Cupolillo E, 2000. Speculations on the origin and evolution of the genus Leishmania. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 95: 583–588.

  • 32.

    Shaw JJ, Camargo EP, 1995. Are trees real? Parasitol Today 11: 347.

  • 33.

    Lainson R, Shaw JJ, 1987. Evolution, classification and geographical distribution. Peters W, Killick-Kendrick R, eds. The Leishmaniases in Biology and Medicine, Volume I: Biology and Epidemiology. London, United Kingdom: Academic Press, 1–120.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 34.

    Stempliuk VA, Floeter-Winter LM, 2002. Functional domains of the rDNA promoter display a differential recognition in Leishmania. Mol Biochem Parasitol 32: 437–447.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 35.

    Asato Y, Oshiro M, Myint CK, Yamamoto Y, Kato H, Marco JD, Mimori T, Gomez EA, Hashiguchi Y, Uezato H, 2009. Phylogenic analysis of the genus Leishmania by cytochrome b gene sequencing. Exp Parasitol 121: 352–361.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 36.

    Cupolillo E, Grimaldi Junior EC, Momen H, 1993. Discriminatory ability of typing systems in Leishmania. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 87: 116–117.

  • 37.

    Victoir K, Banuls AL, Arevalo J, Llanos-Cuentas A, Hamers R, Noel S, De Doncker S, Le Ray D, Tibayrenc M, Dujardin JC, 1998. The gp63 gene locus, a target for genetic characterization of Leishmania belonging to subgenus Viannia. Parasitology 117: 1–13.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 38.

    Schonian G, Mauricio I, Cupolillo E, 2010. Is it time to revise the nomenclature of Leishmania? Trends Parasitol 26: 466–469.

  • 39.

    Tibayrenc M, Ayala FJ, 2002. The clonal theory of parasitic protozoa: 12 years on. Trends Parasitol 18: 405–410.

  • 40.

    Evans DA, Kennedy WP, Elbihari S, Chapman CJ, Smith V, Peters W, 1987. Hybrid formation within the genus Leishmania? Parassitologia 29: 165–173.

  • 41.

    Belli AA, Miles MA, Kelly JM, 1994. A putative Leishmania panamensis/Leishmania braziliensis hybrid is a causative agent of human cutaneous leishmaniasis in Nicaragua. Parasitology 109: 435–442.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 42.

    Jennings YL, de Souza AAA, Ishikawa EA, Shaw J, Lainson R, Silveira F, 2014. Phenotypic characterization of Leishmania spp. causing region, western Pará state, Brazil, reveals a putative hybrid parasite, Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis × Leishmania (Viannia) shawi shawi. Parasite 21: 1–11.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 43.

    Patterson DJ, Cooper J, Kirk PM, Pyle RL, Remsen DP, 2010. Names are key to the big new biology. Trends Ecol Evol 25: 686–691.

  • 44.

    Cohan FM, 2002. What are bacterial species? Annu Rev Microbiol 56: 457–487.

  • 45.

    Konstantinidis KT, Ramette A, Tiedje JM, 2006. The bacterial species definition in the genomic era. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 361: 1929–1940.

Past two years Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 825 682 227
Full Text Views 428 7 1
PDF Downloads 119 8 1
 

 

 

 
 
Affiliate Membership Banner
 
 
Research for Health Information Banner
 
 
CLOCKSS
 
 
 
Society Publishers Coalition Banner
Save