title: Constitutive mosaic aneuploidy is a unique genetic feature widespread in the Leishmania genus.
abstract: Using fluorescence in situ hybridization, we determined the ploidy of four species of Leishmania: Leishmania infantum, Leishmania donovani, Leishmania tropica and Leishmania amazonensis. We found that each cell in a strain possesses a combination of mono-, di- and trisomies for all chromosomes; ploidy patterns were different among all strains/species. These results extend those we previously described in Leishmania major, demonstrating that mosaic aneuploidy is a genetic feature widespread to the Leishmania genus. In addition to the genetic consequences induced by this mosaicism, the apparent absence of alternation between haploid/diploid stages questions the modality of genetic exchange in Leishmania sp.
authors.affiliation: University Montpellier 1, Faculty of Medicine, Laboratory of Parasitology-Mycology, Montpellier, France; CNRS 5290, IRD 224, University Montpellier 1&2 (UMR "MiVEGEC"), Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lachaud
authors.affiliation: University Montpellier 1, Faculty of Medicine, Laboratory of Parasitology-Mycology, Montpellier, France; CNRS 5290, IRD 224, University Montpellier 1&2 (UMR "MiVEGEC"), Montpellier, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (University Hospital Centre), Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bourgeois
authors.affiliation: University Montpellier 1, Faculty of Medicine, Laboratory of Parasitology-Mycology, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Nada
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kuk
authors.affiliation: University Montpellier 1, Faculty of Medicine, Laboratory of Parasitology-Mycology, Montpellier, France; CNRS 5290, IRD 224, University Montpellier 1&2 (UMR "MiVEGEC"), Montpellier, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (University Hospital Centre), Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Christelle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morelle
authors.affiliation: CNRS 5290, IRD 224, University Montpellier 1&2 (UMR "MiVEGEC"), Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Lucien
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Crobu
authors.affiliation: CNRS 5290, IRD 224, University Montpellier 1&2 (UMR "MiVEGEC"), Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Merlin
authors.affiliation: University Montpellier 1, Faculty of Medicine, Laboratory of Parasitology-Mycology, Montpellier, France; CNRS 5290, IRD 224, University Montpellier 1&2 (UMR "MiVEGEC"), Montpellier, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (University Hospital Centre), Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bastien
authors.affiliation: CNRS 5290, IRD 224, University Montpellier 1&2 (UMR "MiVEGEC"), Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pagès
authors.affiliation: University Montpellier 1, Faculty of Medicine, Laboratory of Parasitology-Mycology, Montpellier, France; CNRS 5290, IRD 224, University Montpellier 1&2 (UMR "MiVEGEC"), Montpellier, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (University Hospital Centre), Montpellier, France. Electronic address: yvon.sterkers@univ-montp1.fr.
authors.forename: Yvon
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sterkers
mesh_terms: D000782:Aneuploidy; D018503:Genome, Protozoan; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007891:Leishmania / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D009030:Mosaicism
keywords: Aneuploidy; Chromosome; Genetic exchange; Genome; Leishmania; Mosaicism