Open AccessMulti-locus characterization and phylogenetic inference of Leishmania spp. in snakes from Northwest China
Author(s) -
Han Chen,
Jiao Li,
Junrong Zhang,
Xianguang Guo,
Jinlong Liu,
Jinlei He,
Qi Song,
Jianhui Zhang,
Minli Chen,
Zhiwan Zheng,
Dali Chen,
Jianping Chen
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0210681
Subject(s) - leishmaniasis , biology , leishmania , leishmania donovani , internal transcribed spacer , phylogenetic tree , cutaneous leishmaniasis , visceral leishmaniasis , phylogenetics , zoology , parasite hosting , virology , gene , genetics , world wide web , computer science
Background Leishmaniasis caused by protozoan parasite Leishmania is a neglected disease which is endemic in the northwest of China. Reptiles were considered to be the potential reservoir hosts for mammalian Leishmaniasis, and Leishmania had been detected in lizards from the epidemic area in the northwest of China. To date, few studies are focused on the natural infection of snakes with Leishmania . Methods In this study, 15 snakes captured from 10 endemic foci in the northwest of China were detected Leishmania spp. on the base of mitochondrial cytochrome b , heat shock protein 70 gene and ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 regions, and identified with phylogenetic and network analyses. Result In total, Leishmania gene was found in 7 snakes. The phylogenetic inference trees and network analysis suggests that the species identification was confirmed as Leishmania donovani , L . turanica and L . ( Sauroleishmania ) sp. Conclusion Our work is the first time to investigate the natural Leishmania spp. infection of snakes in the northwest of China. Mammalian Leishmania ( L . donovani and L . turanica ) was discovered in snakes and the reptilian Leishmania ( Sauroleishmania sp.) was closely related to the clinical strains both prompt the importance of snakes in the disease cycle. To indicate the epidemiological involvement of snakes, a wide sample size in epidemic area and the pathogenic features of reptilian Leishmania promastigotes are recommended in the future research.