Multilocus microsatellite typing (MLMT) of strains from Turkey and Cyprus reveals a novel monophyletic L. donovani sensu lato group

New foci of human CL caused by strains of the Leishmania donovani (L. donovani) complex have been recently described in Cyprus and the Çukurova region in Turkey (L. infantum) situated 150 km north of Cyprus. Cypriot strains were typed by Multilocus Enzyme Electrophoresis (MLEE) using the Montpellier...

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Published in:PLoS neglected tropical diseases 2012-02, Vol.6 (2), p.e1507-e1507
Main Authors: Gouzelou, Evi, Haralambous, Christos, Amro, Ahmad, Mentis, Andreas, Pratlong, Francine, Dedet, Jean-Pierre, Votypka, Jan, Volf, Petr, Toz, Seray Ozensoy, Kuhls, Katrin, Schönian, Gabriele, Soteriadou, Ketty
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biodiversity
Biology
Care and treatment
Cluster Analysis
Cyprus
Cyprus - epidemiology
Demographic aspects
Genetic aspects
Genotype
Humans
Identification and classification
Leishmania donovani
Leishmania donovani - classification
Leishmania donovani - genetics
Leishmania donovani - isolation & purification
Leishmaniasis
Leishmaniasis, Visceral
Leishmaniasis, Visceral - epidemiology
Leishmaniasis, Visceral - parasitology
Life Sciences
Microbiology and Parasitology
Microsatellite Repeats
Microsatellites (Genetics)
Molecular Epidemiology
Molecular Typing
Parasitology
Phylogeography
Properties
Systematics, Phylogenetics and taxonomy
Turkey
Turkey - epidemiology
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Summary:New foci of human CL caused by strains of the Leishmania donovani (L. donovani) complex have been recently described in Cyprus and the Çukurova region in Turkey (L. infantum) situated 150 km north of Cyprus. Cypriot strains were typed by Multilocus Enzyme Electrophoresis (MLEE) using the Montpellier (MON) system as L. donovani zymodeme MON-37. However, multilocus microsatellite typing (MLMT) has shown that this zymodeme is paraphyletic; composed of distantly related genetic subgroups of different geographical origin. Consequently the origin of the Cypriot strains remained enigmatic. The Cypriot strains were compared with a set of Turkish isolates obtained from a CL patient and sand fly vectors in south-east Turkey (Çukurova region; CUK strains) and from a VL patient in the south-west (Kuşadasi; EP59 strain). These Turkish strains were initially analyzed using the K26-PCR assay that discriminates MON-1 strains by their amplicon size. In line with previous DNA-based data, the strains were inferred to the L. donovani complex and characterized as non MON-1. For these strains MLEE typing revealed two novel zymodemes; L. donovani MON-309 (CUK strains) and MON-308 (EP59). A population genetic analysis of the Turkish isolates was performed using 14 hyper-variable microsatellite loci. The genotypic profiles of 68 previously analyzed L. donovani complex strains from major endemic regions were included for comparison. Population structures were inferred by combination of bayesian model-based and distance-based approaches. MLMT placed the Turkish and Cypriot strains in a subclade of a newly discovered, genetically distinct L. infantum monophyletic group, suggesting that the Cypriot strains may originate from Turkey. The discovery of a genetically distinct L. infantum monophyletic group in the south-eastern Mediterranean stresses the importance of species genetic characterization towards better understanding, monitoring and controlling the spread of leishmaniasis in this region.
ISSN:1935-2735
1935-2727
1935-2735
DOI:10.1371/journal.pntd.0001507