title: Heterogeneity of the internal transcribed spacer region in Leishmania tropica isolates from southern Iran.
abstract: Most of cutaneous leishmaniasis cases occur in only 7 countries, including Iran. Leishmania tropica is the main cause of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran. In order to study the heterogeneity and phylogeny of L. tropica in southern Iran, a total of 61 isolates were obtained from Bam district and the cities Kerman and Shiraz. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) from the ribosomal DNA locus was amplified and then analysed by sequencing. Analysis of the ITS sequences showed four haplotypes in the isolates, including 3 haplotypes among the 58 isolates from the south eastern region, including Bam district and Kerman city, and 2 haplotypes among the 3 isolates from Shiraz city. The results showed a monophyletic structure for the south eastern population. In comparison to GenBank sequences of L. tropica from different countries, most of the southeast Iranian and Indian isolates are comprised in one cluster, while isolates from other countries and few other Iranian isolates group in a different cluster. Analysis of ITS sequences of south eastern L. tropica showed a homogeneous population which could be the basis for other molecular epidemiology studies using more discriminative markers and tracing possible changes in the population structure of L. tropica.
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Amin
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ghatee
authors.affiliation: Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Iraj
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sharifi
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Biotechnology and Functional Genomics, Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau, Germany.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuhls
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kanannejad
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Majid Fasihi
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Harandi
authors.affiliation: Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, USA.
authors.forename: Marcos E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.affiliation: Basic Sciences in Infectious Diseases Research Center, School of Medicine, University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Gholamreza
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hatam
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, National Institute of Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: mirhendi@tums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mirhendi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001483:Base Sequence; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D018740:Genetic Heterogeneity; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D007895:Leishmania tropica / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D005819:Genetic Markers
keywords: Heterogeneity; ITS; Iran; Leishmania tropica; Sequence analysis