Impact of collaborative actions of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis subpopulations on the infection profile.

This study focuses on the role of the population structure of Leishmania spp. on the adaptive capacity of the parasite. Herein, we investigate the contribution of subpopulations of the L. (V.) braziliensis Thor strain (Thor03, Thor10 and Thor22) in the profile of murine macrophages infection. Infection assays were performed with binary combinations of these subpopulations at stationary phases. The initial interaction time showed major effects on the combination assays, as demonstrated by the significant increase in the infection rate at 5 h. Based on the endocytic index (EI), Thor10 (EI = 563.6) and Thor03 (EI = 497) showed a higher infection load compared to Thor22 (EI = 227.3). However, the EI decreased in Thor03 after 48 h (EI = 447) and 72 h (EI = 388.3) of infection, and showed changes in the infection level in all Thor10/Thor22 combinations. Assays with CellTrace CFSE-labelled Thor22 promastigotes indicated an increase (~1.5 fold) in infection by this subpopulation in the presence of Thor10 when compared to the infection profile of Thor03/Thor22 combinations in the same proportions. In addition, the potential of these subpopulations, alone or in binary combinations, to modulate the expression of cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) in vitro was investigated. Lower NO and tumour necrosis factor-α production levels were observed for all Thor10/Thor22 combinations at 24 h compared to these subpopulations alone. In contrast, Thor03/Thor22 combination assays increased IL-10 production at this time. Collectively, these results provide in vitro evidence on the potential of L. (V.) braziliensis population structure to play a relevant role in a host infection by this parasite.

Novel Insights Into Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis In Vitro Fitness Guided by Temperature Changes Along With Its Subtilisins and Oligopeptidase B.

Proteases are virulence factors with a recognized impact on the Leishmania spp. life cycle. This study considers a set of analyses measuring phenotypic factors of L. (V.) braziliensis clinical isolates as promastigotes growth curves, murine peritoneal macrophages infection, inflammatory mediators production, and serine proteases gene expression (subtilisin 13: S13, subtilisin 28: S28, oligopeptidase B: OPB) assessing these isolates' fitness on in vitro conditions. Parasites had different behavior during the early growth phase from day zero to day three, and all isolates reached the stationary growth phase between days four and seven. Macrophages infection showed two tendencies, one of decreased infection rate and number of parasites per macrophage (Infection Index <1000) and another with a constant infection index (≥1400). TNF-α (≥10 pg/mL) detected in infections by 75% of isolates, IL-6 (≥80 pg/mL) by 30% of isolates and low levels of NO (≥0.01µM) in almost all infections. Gene expression showed higher values of S13 (≥2RQ) in the intracellular amastigotes of all the isolates evaluated. On the contrary, S28 expression was low (≤1RQ) in all isolates. OPB expression was different between promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes, being significantly higher (≥2RQ) in the latter form of 58% of the isolates. Predictive structural assays of S13 and OPB were performed to explore temperature influence on gene expression and the encoded proteases. Gene expression data is discussed based on in silico predictions of regulatory regions that show plasticity in the linearity index of secondary structures of S13 and OPB 3'-untranslated regions of mRNA, dependent on temperature changes. While hairpin structures suggest an active region of mRNA for both genes above 26°C, pseudoknot structure found in S13 is an indication of a particular profile of this gene at mammalian host temperatures (37°C). Furthermore, the predicted 3D structures are in accordance with the influence of these temperatures on the catalytic site stability of both enzymes, favoring their action over peptide substrates. Data gathered here suggest that L. (V.) braziliensis serine proteases can be influenced by the temperature conditions affecting parasite fitness throughout its life cycle.

Serine proteases profiles of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis clinical isolates with distinct susceptibilities to antimony.

Glucantime (SbV) is the first-line treatment against American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis. Resistance cases to this drug have been reported and related to host characteristics and parasite phenotypes. In this study, 12 Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis isolates from patients that presented clinical cure (Responders-R) and relapse or therapeutic failure (Non-responders-NR) after treatment with antimony, were analyzed. These parasites were assessed by in vitro susceptibility to SbIII and SbV, serine proteases activity measured with substrate (z-FR-AMC) and specific inhibitors (TLCK, AEBSF and PMSF). In vitro susceptibility of axenic amastigotes to SbIII showed a significant difference between R and NR groups. The protease assays showed that TLCK inhibited almost 100% of activity in both axenic amastigotes and promastigotes while AEBSF inhibited around 70%, and PMSF showed lower inhibition of some isolates. Principal component and clustering analysis performed with these data yielded one homogeneous cluster with only NR isolates and three heterogeneous clusters with R and NR isolates. Additionally, differential expression of subtilisins (LbrM.13.0860 and LbrM.28.2570) and TXNPx (LbrM.15.1080) was evaluated in promastigotes and axenic amastigotes from both groups. The results showed a higher expression of LbrM.13.0860 and LbrM.15.1080 genes in axenic amastigotes, while LbrM.28.2570 gene had the lowest expression in all isolates, regardless of the parasite form. The data presented here show a phenotypic heterogeneity among the parasites, suggesting that exploration of in vitro phenotypes based on SbIII and serine proteases profiles can aid in the characterization of L. (V.) braziliensis clinical isolates.

Axenic amastigotes of Leishmania species as a suitable model for in vitro studies.

Leishmania spp. are etiological agents of infection diseases, which in some cases can be fatal. The main forms of their biological cycle, promastigotes and amastigotes, can be maintained in vitro. While promastigotes are easier to maintain, amastigotes are more complex and can be obtained through different ways, including infection assays of tissues or in vitro cells, and differentiation from promastigotes to axenic amastigotes. Several protocols have been proposed for in vitro differentiation for at least 12 Leishmania spp. of both subgenera, Leishmania and Viannia. In this review we propose a critical summary of axenic amastigotes induction, as well as the impact of these strategies on metabolic pathways and regulatory networks analyzed by omics approaches. The parameters used by different research groups show considerable variations in temperature, pH and induction stages, as highlighted here for Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis. Therefore, a consensus on strategies for inducing amastigogenesis is necessary to improve accuracy and even define stage-specific biomarkers. In fact, the axenic amastigote model has contributed to elucidate several aspects of the parasite cycle, however, since it does not reproduce the intracellular environment, its use requires several precautions. In addition, we present a discussion about using axenic amastigotes for drug screening, suggesting the need of a more sensitive methodology to verify cell viability in these tests. Collectively, this review explores the advantages and limitations found in studies with axenic amastigotes, done for more than 30 years, and discuss the gaps that impair their use as a suitable model for in vitro studies.

Reactivity of sera from dogs living in a leishmaniasis-endemic area to the COOH-terminal region of cysteine proteinase B.

Cysteine proteinases are well-known virulence factors of Leishmania spp. with demonstrated actions in both experimental mouse infection and human infection. However, studies on these enzymes in canine leishmaniasis are scarce. Here, we show, for the first time, the reactivity of sera from dogs living in an endemic area to a recombinant protein from the COOH-terminal region of cysteine B protease. In this work, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were performed using a 14kDa rcyspep protein obtained through a pET28-a expression system in Escherichia coli. First, 96-well plates were coated with rcyspep (500ng/well) and incubated with sera from dogs (1:100). Subsequently, IgG antibody detection was performed using rabbit anti-dog IgG antibodies conjugated with peroxidase. Sera from dogs (n=114), including suspect (n=30) and positive (n=50) dogs from a leishmaniasis-endemic area and dogs from a nonendemic area, (n=34), negative for leishmaniasis, were assessed. The results showed that sera from the suspect (42%) and positive (68%) groups responded differently to the antigen titers tested above the cut-off (Optical Density=0.166). This finding suggests that the immune response detected against cyspep may be related to clinical disorders present in these animals. Collectively, the data gathered here suggest that cyspep can sensitize the immune systems of dogs from a leishmaniasis-endemic area to elicit a humoral response, an immunological parameter indicating the contribution of this protein in host-parasite interaction.

The combination therapy of meglumine antimoniate and oxiranes (epoxy-α-lapachone and epoxymethyl-lawsone) enhance the leishmanicidal effect in mice infected by Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis.

Current treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis includes pentavalent antimonials as first-line drugs, but this therapy has shown severe adverse effects. An alternative to minimize this issue is based on combination therapy scheme with other drugs. In this study we analyzed the potential of the association of meglumine antimoniate (MA) with the oxiranes epoxy-α-lapachone (LAP) or epoxymethyl-lawsone (LAW). Results demonstrated that association between these drugs enhanced leishmanicidal activity on Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis infection. The compounds were tested in monotherapy or in combinations (3:1; 1:1 and 1:3) and reduced intracellular parasite numbers, measured by the endocytic index, in all tested conditions. The most effective combination regimens were MA/LAP or MA/LAW in 3:1 ratio, which achieved a reduction of 98.3% and 93.6% in the endocytic index, respectively. BALB/c mice challenged with L. (L.) amazonensis showed significant reduction in lesion size and parasite load in both footpad and lymph nodes, after four weeks of treatment. Although, MA, LAP or LAW monotherapy were able to control the evolution of lesions when compared to untreated animals (30%, 40% and 40% of reduction, respectively), the combination of MA/LAP and LAW in 3:1 ratio showed better results reducing 61.7 and 54.4%, respectively. The results indicate that the association of meglumine antimoniate to oxiranes lead to an increment in the antileishmanial activity and represent a promising approach for the cutaneous leishmaniasis treatment.

Serine Proteinases in Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis Promastigotes Have Distinct Subcellular Distributions and Expression.

Serine proteinases in Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis promastigotes were assessed in this work. This study included the investigation of the enzymatic activity of subcellular fractions obtained from benzamidine affinity chromatography, reverse transcription polymerase chain reactions, and in silico assays of subcellular localization of subtilisin. Promastigote serine proteinases showed gelatinolytic activity with molecular masses of 43 kDa to 170 kDa in the cytosolic fraction and 67 kDa to 170 kDa in the membranous fraction. Serine proteinase activities were detected using N-benzyloxycarbonyl-l-phenylalanyl-l-arginine 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (Z-FR-AMC) and N-succinyl-l-alanine-l-phenylalanine-l-lysine 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (Suc-AFK-AMC) as substrates in the cytosolic fraction (Z-FR-AMC = 392 ± 30 µmol.min-1 mg of protein-1 and Suc-AFK-AMC = 252 ± 20 µmol.min-1 mg of protein-1) and in the membranous fraction (Z-FR-AMC = 53 ± 5 µmol.min-1 mg of protein-1 and Suc-AFK-AMC = 63.6 ± 6.5 µmol.min-1 mg of protein-1). Enzyme specificity was shown by inhibition with aprotinin (19% to 80% inhibition) and phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (3% to 69%), depending on the subcellular fraction and substrate. The expression of subtilisin (LbrM.13.0860 and LbrM.28.2570) and tryparedoxin peroxidase (LbrM.15.1080) genes was observed by the detection of RNA transcripts 200 bp, 162 bp, and 166 bp long, respectively. Subsequent in silico assays showed LbrM.13.0860 can be located in the cytosol and LbrM.28.2570 in the membrane of the parasite. Data obtained here show the subcellular distribution and expression of serine proteinases, including the subtilisin-like serine proteinases in L. (V.) braziliensis promastigotes.

Insights into the tracking of the cysteine proteinase B COOH-terminal polypeptide of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis by surface plasmon resonance.

Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis has adaptive mechanisms to the host environment that are guided by its proteinases, including cysteine proteinase B (CPB), and primarily its COOH-terminal region (Cyspep). This work aimed to track the fate of Cyspep by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of promastigotes and amastigotes to gain a greater understanding of the adaptation of this parasite in both hosts. This strategy consisted of antibody immobilization on a COOH1 surface, followed by interaction with parasite proteins and epoxysuccinyl-L-leucylamido(4-guanidino)butane (E-64). Pro-CPB and Cyspep were detected using specific polyclonal antibodies against a recombinant Cyspep in both parasite forms. The parasitic supernatants from amastigotes and promastigotes exhibited higher anti-Cyspep recognition compared with that in the subcellular fractions. As the supernatant of the promastigote cultures exhibited resonance unit values indicative of an effective with to E-64, this result was assumed to be Pro-CPB detection. Finally, after using three sequential SPR assay steps, we propose that amastigotes and promastigotes release Cyspep into the extracellular environment, but only promastigotes release this polypeptide as Pro-CPB.

Antileishmanial Activity of 2-Methoxy-4H-spiro-[naphthalene-1,2'-oxiran]-4-one (Epoxymethoxy-lawsone): A Promising New Drug Candidate for Leishmaniasis Treatment.

Epoxymethoxylawsone is a naphthoquinone derivative promising as drug candidate for the treatment of leishmaniases. In the present work the effectiveness of epoxymethoxylawsone, and meglumine antimoniate on Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis parasites and on mice paw lesions of infected BALB/c mice was assessed. In an intracellular amastigotes assay, the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value for epoxymethoxylawsone was slightly higher (1.7-fold) than that found for meglumine antimoniate. The efficacy of both drugs became more evident after 48 h of exposure when either the oxirane compound and reference drug reached 18-fold and 7.4-fold lower IC50 values (0.40 ± 0.001 µM and 0.60 ± 0.02 µM), respectively. Promastigotes were also affected by epoxymethoxylawsone after 24 h of incubation (IC50 = 45.45 ± 5.0 µM), but with IC50 6-fold higher than those found for intracellular amastigotes. Cytotoxicity analysis revealed that epoxymethoxylawsone (CC50 = 40.05 ± µM) has 1.7-fold higher effects than meglumine antimoniate (CC50 = 24.14 ± 2.6 µM). Treatment of the paw lesion in infected BALB/c mice with epoxymethoxy-lawsone led to a significant 27% reduction (p < 0.05) of the lesion size, for all administrated doses, compared to the control group. Lesion reduction was also detected after mice treatment with meglumine antimoniate, reaching 31.0% (0.23 mg of Sb(V)/Kg/day and 2.27 mg of Sb(V)/Kg/day) and 64.0% (22.7 mg of Sb(V)/Kg/day). In addition, mice lesion ultrastructural changes were evidenced in amastigotes. The set of data gathered here indicate that epoxymethoxylawsone has pronounced effects on parasites and merits furthering to the preclinical stage.

Evidence of Subpopulations with Distinct Biological Features Within a Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis Strain.

The present study demonstrates that the Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis strain MCAN/BR/1998/R619 is composed of multiple subpopulations with measurable distinctions. Single parasites were separated from a culture of promastigotes in stationary phase by cell sorting and then cultivated as subpopulations. Subsequently, these subpopulations were evaluated for features of in vitro growth, infectivity to murine macrophages and proteinase gene expression. The first evidence of distinct characteristics was observed during the in vitro cultivation of isolated subpopulations, as distinct clusters of patterns were formed among the cultures, indicating the existence of quantifiable fluctuations in metrics. Further, when infecting murine macrophages, the subpopulations induced distinct patterns of production of immune response mediators. While some subpopulations mainly induced the production of IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α, others induced the production of IL-12p70 and nitric oxide. Finally, amastigotes of these subpopulations had higher expression of proteinase genes than promastigotes. Additionally, cysteine proteinase, serine proteinase, metalloproteinase and aspartic proteinases were differentially expressed in promastigote and amastigote forms. These data suggest the existence of distinct profiles for the L. (V.) braziliensis MCAN/BR/1998/R619 strain and subpopulations that could drive the success of parasite adaptation to the environments that they inhabit.

Evidence for Tissue Toxicity in BALB/c Exposed to a Long-Term Treatment with Oxiranes Compared to Meglumine Antimoniate.

Leishmaniasis remains a serious public health problem in developing countries without effective control, whether by vaccination or chemotherapy. Part of the failure of leishmaniasis control is due to the lack of new less toxic and more effective drugs able to eliminate both the lesions and the parasite. Oxiranes derived from naphthoquinones now being assayed are promising drugs for the treatment of this group of diseases. The predicted pharmacokinetic properties and toxicological profiles of epoxy-α-lapachone and epoxymethoxy-lawsone have now been compared to those of meglumine antimoniate, and histological changes induced by these drugs in noninfected BALB/c mice tissues are described. Effects of these compounds on liver, kidney, lung, heart, and cerebral tissues of healthy mice were examined. The data presented show that both these oxiranes and meglumine antimoniate induce changes in all BALB/c mice tissues, with the lung, heart, and brain being the most affected. Epoxymethoxy-lawsone was the most toxic to lung tissue, while most severe damage was caused in the heart by epoxy-α-lapachone. Meglumine antimoniate caused mild-to-moderate changes in heart and lung tissues.

Exploring the Association of Surface Plasmon Resonance with Recombinant MHC:Ig Hybrid Protein as a Tool for Detecting T Lymphocytes in Mice Infected with Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis.

A surface plasmon resonance- (SPR-) based recognition method applying H-2 Ld:Ig/peptides complexes for ex vivo monitoring cellular immune responses during murine infection with Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis is described. Lymphocytes from lesion-draining popliteal lymph nodes were captured on a carboxylated sensor chip surface previously functionalized with H-2 Ld:Ig (DimerX) protein bound to synthetic peptides derived from the COOH-terminal region of cysteine proteinase B of L. (L.) amazonensis. In computational analysis, these peptides presented values of kinetic constants favorable to form complexes with H-2 Ld at neutral pH, with a Gibbs free energy ΔG° < 0. The assayed DimerX:peptide complexes presented the property of attaching to distinct T lymphocytes subsets, obtained from experimentally infected BALB/c mice, in each week of infection, thus indicating a temporal variation in specific T lymphocytes populations, each directed to a different COOH-terminal region-derived peptide. The experimental design proposed herein is an innovative approach for cellular immunology studies of a neglected disease, providing a useful tool for the analysis of specific T lymphocytes subsets.

Kinetoplastid Membrane Protein-11 as a Vaccine Candidate and a Virulence Factor in Leishmania.

Kinetoplastid membrane protein-11 (KMP-11), a protein present in all kinetoplastid protozoa, is considered a potential candidate for a leishmaniasis vaccine. In Leishmania amazonensis, KMP-11 is expressed in promastigotes and amastigotes. In both stages, the protein was found in association with membrane structures at the cell surface, flagellar pocket, and intracellular vesicles. More importantly, its surface expression is higher in amastigotes than in promastigotes and increases during metacyclogenesis. The increased expression of KMP-11 in metacyclic promastigotes, and especially in amastigotes, indicates a role for this molecule in the parasite relationship with the mammalian host. In this connection, we have shown that addition of KMP-11 exacerbates L. amazonensis infection in peritoneal macrophages from BALB/c mice by increasing interleukin (IL)-10 secretion and arginase activity while reducing nitric oxide production. The doses of KMP-11, the IL-10 levels, and the intracellular amastigote loads were strongly, positively, and significantly correlated. The increase in parasite load induced by KMP-11 was inhibited by anti-KMP-11 or anti-IL-10-neutralizing antibodies, but not by isotype controls. The neutralizing antibodies, but not the isotype controls, were also able to significantly decrease the parasite load in macrophages cultured without the addition of KMP-11, demonstrating that KMP-11-induced exacerbation of the infection is not dependent on the addition of exogenous KMP-11 and that the protein naturally expressed by the parasite is able to promote it. All these data indicate that KMP-11 acts as a virulence factor in L. amazonensis infection.

Comparative evaluation of lesion development, tissue damage, and cytokine expression in golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) infected by inocula with different Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis concentrations.

The golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) is a susceptible model to Leishmania (Viannia) spp.; however, available studies employ different infection protocols, which account for clinical and pathological presentation differences. Herein, L. (V.) braziliensis preparations were standardized to contain 10(4), 10(5), or 10(6) parasites to determine an optimal inoculum that ensured cutaneous lesions without causing a disseminated infection in hamsters. Lesion development was followed for 105 days by size measurements, and skin, draining lymph node, spleen, and sera were investigated to check parasite load, spleen visceralization, cytokine expression, histopathological changes, and anti-Leishmania IgG levels. The lesion emergence time was inversely proportional to the parasite concentration in the inocula. Animals infected by 10(4) parasites presented nodular lesions, while those infected with 10(6) parasites often exhibited ulcerated lesions. The differences in the final lesion sizes were observed between 10(4) and 10(5) inocula or 10(4) and 10(6) inocula. High IFNG expression, anti-Leishmania IgG levels, and parasite load occurred independently of the inoculum used. A mild inflammatory skin involvement was observed in animals infected with 10(4) parasites, while extensive tissue damage and parasite spleen visceralization occurred with 10(5) and 10(6) parasites. These results indicate that inocula with different concentrations of parasites generate differences in the time of lesion emergence, clinical presentation, and systemic commitment, despite high and similar IFNG expression and parasite load. This suggests that a modulation in the immune response to different parasite numbers occurs in an early phase of the infection, which could dictate the establishment and magnitude of the chronic phase of the disease.

Kinetoplastid membrane protein-11 exacerbates infection with Leishmania amazonensis in murine macrophages.

In Leishmania amazonensis, kinetoplastid membrane protein-11 (KMP-11) expression increases during meta-cyclogenesis and is higher in amastigotes than in promastigotes, suggesting a role for this protein in the infection of the mammalian host. We show that the addition of KMP-11 exacerbates L. amazonensis infection in peritoneal macrophages from BALB/c mice by increasing interleukin (IL)-10 secretion and arginase activity while reducing nitric oxide (NO) production. The doses of KMP-11, the IL-10 levels and the intracellular amastigote loads were strongly, positively and significantly correlated. The increase in parasite load induced by KMP-11 was inhibited by anti-KMP-11 or anti-IL-10 neutralising antibodies, but not by isotype controls. The neutralising antibodies, but not the isotype controls, were also able to significantly decrease the parasite load in macrophages cultured without the addition of KMP-11, demonstrating that KMP-11-induced exacerbation of the infection is not dependent on the addition of exogenous KMP-11 and that the protein naturally expressed by the parasite is able to promote it. In this study, the exacerbating effect of KMP-11 on macrophage infection with Leishmania is for the first time demonstrated, implicating it as a virulence factor in L. amazonensis. The stimulation of IL-10 production and arginase activity and the inhibition of NO synthesis are likely involved in this effect.

Kinetoplastid membrane protein-11 exacerbates infection with Leishmania amazonensis in murine macrophages

In Leishmania amazonensis, kinetoplastid membrane protein-11 (KMP-11) expression increases during metacyclogenesis and is higher in amastigotes than in promastigotes, suggesting a role for this protein in the infection of the mammalian host. We show that the addition of KMP-11 exacerbates L. amazonensis infection in peritoneal macrophages from BALB/c mice by increasing interleukin (IL)-10 secretion and arginase activity while reducing nitric oxide (NO) production. The doses of KMP-11, the IL-10 levels and the intracellular amastigote loads were strongly, positively and significantly correlated. The increase in parasite load induced by KMP-11 was inhibited by anti-KMP-11 or anti-IL-10 neutralising antibodies, but not by isotype controls. The neutralising antibodies, but not the isotype controls, were also able to significantly decrease the parasite load in macrophages cultured without the addition of KMP-11, demonstrating that KMP-11-induced exacerbation of the infection is not dependent on the addition of exogenous KMP-11 and that the protein naturally expressed by the parasite is able to promote it. In this study, the exacerbating effect of KMP-11 on macrophage infection with Leishmania is for the first time demonstrated, implicating it as a virulence factor in L. amazonensis. The stimulation of IL-10 production and arginase activity and the inhibition of NO synthesis are likely involved in this effect.

Kinetoplastid membrane protein-11 is present in promastigotes and amastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis and its surface expression increases during metacyclogenesis.

Kinetoplastid membrane protein-11 (KMP-11), a protein present in all kinetoplastid protozoa, is considered a potential candidate for a leishmaniasis vaccine. A suitable leishmaniasis vaccine candidate molecule must be expressed in amastigotes, the infective stage for mammals. However, the expression of KMP-11 in Leishmania amastigotes has been a subject of controversy. We evaluated the expression of this molecule in logarithmic and stationary growth phase promastigotes, as well as in amastigotes, of Leishmania amazonensis by immunoblotting, flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry, using a monoclonal antibody against KMP-11. We found that KMP-11 is present in promastigotes and amastigotes. In both stages, the protein was found in association with membrane structures (at the cell surface, flagellar pocket and intracellular vesicles). More importantly, its surface expression is higher in amastigotes than in promastigotes and increases during metacyclogenesis. The increased expression of KMP-11 in metacyclic promastigotes, and especially in amastigotes, indicates a role for this molecule in the parasite relationship with the mammalian host. The presence of this molecule in amastigotes is consistent with the previously demonstrated immunoprotective capacity of vaccine prototypes based on the KMP-11-coding gene and the presence of humoral and cellular immune responses to KMP-11 in Leishmania-infected humans and animals.

Differences in the antigenic profile and infectivity of murine macrophages of Leishmania (Viannia) parasites.

The antigenic profile and infectivity were compared between 3 recent Leishmania (Viannia) isolates from the Amazonian region (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia [INPA] strains) and 3 World Health Organization (WHO) reference species (Leishmania guyanensis, Leishmania braziliensis, and Leishmania naiffi). Differences were observed in the peak and extent of promastigote growth. The WHO reference strains exhibited significantly higher exponential growth as promastigotes than INPA strains. In the immunoblot analyses, the INPA strains revealed several specific peptide fragments, as well as the greatest recognition frequencies by sera from Leishmania sp.-infected patients; among the latter, antigens derived from L. naiffi were the most frequently recognized. In vitro infection was carried out using mice peritoneal macrophages; all strains were able to enter the macrophages, but only L. amazonensis was able to reproduce. A striking observation was that L. naiffi exhibited the longest survival time inside the macrophages. Our data strongly suggest the application of recently isolated parasites as sources of antigen for diagnosis procedures. Moreover, L. naiffi species possesses several characteristics relevant for its use as a source of novel antigens to be explored in the design of diagnostic tools and vaccines.

Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis: influence of successive in vitro cultivation on the expression of promastigote proteinases.

Cysteine proteinases are an important virulence factor in Leishmania parasites. In this study we analyzed the cysteine proteinase expression of infective Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis promastigotes, examining the expression induced by successive in vitro passages in culture. We observed that this parasite presents a decrease in its virulence over BALB/c macrophages, after successive passages in culture, but still they present proteinase activity, being capable of hydrolyzing the substrate pGlu-Phe-Leu-p Nitroanilide at pH 7.0. This proteinase activity also decreases in the course of the successive passages. Additionally, the decrease in the amount of CPB proteins following successive passages of promastigotes was verified by immunoblotting assays, using an anti-CPB antiserum. Real-time PCR assays were performed to assess the relative cpb expression when compared to a housekeeping gene in promastigote cDNA preparations from the first, fourth and seventh passages. Interestingly, the data indicate a relative increase in cpb gene transcripts as the promastigotes were maintained under in vitro culture: 2.2 times higher for fourth and 2.7 times higher for seventh passages when compared to the first passage. Thus, the information gathered here shows that the expression of cysteine proteinases is modified during in vitro cultivation of L. (V.) braziliensis promastigotes.

Kinetoplastid membrane protein-11 is present in promastigotes and amastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis and its surface expression increases during metacyclogenesis

Kinetoplastid membrane protein-11 (KMP-11), a protein present in all kinetoplastid protozoa, is considered a potential candidate for a leishmaniasis vaccine. A suitable leishmaniasis vaccine candidate molecule must be expressed in amastigotes, the infective stage for mammals. However, the expression of KMP-11 in Leishmania amastigotes has been a subject of controversy. We evaluated the expression of this molecule in logarithmic and stationary growth phase promastigotes, as well as in amastigotes, of Leishmania amazonensis by immunoblotting, flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry, using a monoclonal antibody against KMP-11. We found that KMP-11 is present in promastigotes and amastigotes. In both stages, the protein was found in association with membrane structures (at the cell surface, flagellar pocket and intracellular vesicles). More importantly, its surface expression is higher in amastigotes than in promastigotes and increases during metacyclogenesis. The increased expression of KMP-11 in metacyclic promastigotes, and especially in amastigotes, indicates a role for this molecule in the parasite relationship with the mammalian host. The presence of this molecule in amastigotes is consistent with the previously demonstrated immunoprotective capacity of vaccine prototypes based on the KMP-11-coding gene and the presence of humoral and cellular immune responses to KMP-11 in Leishmania-infected humans and animals.