Species identification and phylogenetic analysis of Leishmania isolated from patients, vectors and hares in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, The People's Republic of China

Chen, Y-F; Liao, L-F; Wu, N; Gao, J-M; Zhang, P; Wen, Y-Z; Hide, G; Lai, D-H; Lun, Z-R

Abstract

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has been declared as one of the six major tropical diseases by the World Health Organization. This disease has been successfully controlled in China, except for some areas in the western region, such as the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, where both anthroponotic VL (AVL) and desert type zoonotic VL (DT-ZVL) remain endemic with sporadic epidemics. Here, an eleven-year survey (2004-2014) of Leishmania species, encompassing both VL types isolated from patients, sand-fly vectors and Tarim hares (Lepus yarkandensis) from the Xinjiang Autonomous Region was conducted, with a special emphasis on the hares as a potential reservoir animal for DT-ZVL. Key diagnostic genes, ITS1, hsp70 and nagt (encoding N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate transferase) were used for phylogenetic analyses, placing all Xinjiang isolates into one clade of the L. donovani complex. Unexpectedly, AVL isolates were found to be closely related to L. infantum, while DT-ZVL isolates were closer to L. donovani. Unrooted parsimony networks of haplotypes for these isolates also revealed their relationship. The above analyses of the DT-ZVL isolates suggested their geographic isolation and independent evolution. The sequence identity of isolates from patients, vectors and the Tarim hares in a single DT-ZVL site provides strong evidence in support of this species as an animal reservoir.

Citation

Chen, Y., Liao, L., Wu, N., Gao, J., Zhang, P., Wen, Y., …Lun, Z. (2021). Species identification and phylogenetic analysis of Leishmania isolated from patients, vectors and hares in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, The People's Republic of China. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 15(12), e0010055. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010055

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 4, 2021
• Publication Date: Dec 17, 2021
• Deposit Date: Jan 7, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 7, 2022
• Journal: PLoS neglected tropical diseases
• Electronic ISSN: 1935-2735
• Publisher: Public Library of Science
• Volume: 15
• Issue: 12
• Pages: e0010055
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010055
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010055
• Related Public URLs: http://www.plosntds.org/
• Additional Information: Additional Information : ** From PubMed via Jisc Publications Router **Journal IDs: eissn 1935-2735 **Article IDs: pubmed: 34919567; pii: PNTD-D-21-00931 **History: accepted 04-12-2021; submitted 24-06-2021; Funders : National Natural Science Foundation of China;Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province;GDAS Special Project of Science and Technology Development; Grant Number: 31720103918 and 31672276; Grant Number: 2018A030313187; Grant Number: 2018GDASCX-0107