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Background   Leishmania  spp. are digenetic parasites capable of infecting humans and causing a range of diseases collectively known as leishmaniasis. The main mechanisms involved in the development and permanence of this pathology are linked to evasion of the immune response. Crosstalk between the immune system and particularities of each pathogenic species is associated with diverse disease manifestations. Lipophosphoglycan (LPG), one of the most important molecules present on the surface of  Leishmania  parasites, is divided into four regions with high molecular variability. Although LPG plays an important role in host-pathogen and vector-parasite interactions, the distribution and phylogenetic relatedness of the genes responsible for its synthesis remain poorly explored. The recent availability of full genomes and transcriptomes of  Leishmania  parasites offers an opportunity to leverage insight on how LPG-related genes are distributed and expressed by these pathogens.    Results  Using a phylogenomics-based framework, we identified a catalog of genes involved in LPG biosynthesis across 22 species of  Leishmania  from the subgenera  Viannia  and  Leishmania , as well as 5 non- Leishmania  trypanosomatids. The evolutionary relationships of these genes across species were also evaluated. Nine genes related to the production of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchor were highly conserved among compared species, whereas 22 genes related to the synthesis of the repeat unit presented variable conservation. Extensive gain/loss events were verified, particularly in genes  SCG1-4  and  SCA1-2.  These genes act, respectively, on the synthesis of the side chain attached to phosphoglycans and in the transfer of arabinose residues. Phylogenetic analyses disclosed evolutionary patterns reflective of differences in host specialization, geographic origin and disease manifestation.    Conclusions  The multiple gene gain/loss events identified by genomic data mining help to explain some of the observed intra- and interspecies variation in LPG structure. Collectively, our results provide a comprehensive catalog that details how LPG-related genes evolved in the  Leishmania  parasite specialization process.

Proteins involved in the biosynthesis of lipophosphoglycan in Leishmania: a comparative genomic and evolutionary analysis