title: Chromosome structure and sequence organization between pathogenic and non-pathogenic Leishmania spp.
abstract: We have used a chromosome fragmentation strategy based on systematic genomic insertions of the rare cutting yeast I-SceI endonuclease to assess structure and sequence organization of homologous chromosomes between evolutionary divergent pathogenic and non-pathogenic Leishmania species. This method was combined to physical mapping and hybridization studies using a number of specific chromosomal markers as probes. Our studies have concentrated on two different chromosomes of Leishmania major (L. major), L. donovani and L. infantum and of the non-pathogenic species L. tarentolae. Specific chromosome fragmentation events at the level of multiple I-SccI genomic integrations indicated that very similar distances separated internal genomic sequences between homologous chromosomes and that distances from chromosome ends were more variable. The order and orientation of genes along the homologous chromosomes were also conserved between species. With only few exceptions, genome organization between pathogenic and non-pathogenic Leishmania species was found to be highly conserved. Genomic comparison of pathogenic and non-pathogenic species may be useful for depicting regions involved in species-specific related pathologies.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie, Département de Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tamar
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dumas
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Papadopoulou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D018503:Genome, Protozoan; D007891:Leishmania / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000235:genetics; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000235:genetics; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000235:genetics; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics; D020161:Physical Chromosome Mapping; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D013045:Species Specificity; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D010088:Oxidoreductases; C085592:pteridine reductase; C037725:SCEI protein, S cerevisiae; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific