Authors
Christopher S Peacock, Kathy Seeger, David Harris, Lee Murphy, Jeronimo C Ruiz, Michael A Quail, Nick Peters, Ellen Adlem, Adrian Tivey, Martin Aslett, Arnaud Kerhornou, Alasdair Ivens, Audrey Fraser, Marie-Adele Rajandream, Tim Carver, Halina Norbertczak, Tracey Chillingworth, Zahra Hance, Kay Jagels, Sharon Moule, Doug Ormond, Simon Rutter, Rob Squares, Sally Whitehead, Ester Rabbinowitsch, Claire Arrowsmith, Brian White, Scott Thurston, Frédéric Bringaud, Sandra L Baldauf, Adam Faulconbridge, Daniel Jeffares, Daniel P Depledge, Samuel O Oyola, James D Hilley, Loislene O Brito, Luiz RO Tosi, Barclay Barrell, Angela K Cruz, Jeremy C Mottram, Deborah F Smith, Matthew Berriman
Publication date
2007/7
Journal
Nature genetics
Volume
39
Issue
7
Pages
839-847
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group US
Description
Leishmania parasites cause a broad spectrum of clinical disease. Here we report the sequencing of the genomes of two species of Leishmania: Leishmania infantum and Leishmania braziliensis. The comparison of these sequences with the published genome of Leishmania major reveals marked conservation of synteny and identifies only ∼200 genes with a differential distribution between the three species. L. braziliensis, contrary to Leishmania species examined so far, possesses components of a putative RNA-mediated interference pathway, telomere-associated transposable elements and spliced leader–associated SLACS retrotransposons. We show that pseudogene formation and gene loss are the principal forces shaping the different genomes. Genes that are differentially distributed between the species encode proteins implicated in host-pathogen interactions and parasite survival in the macrophage.
Total citations
Scholar articles
CS Peacock, K Seeger, D Harris, L Murphy, JC Ruiz… - Nature genetics, 2007