title: Evolutionary history of Leishmania killicki (synonymous Leishmania tropica) and taxonomic implications.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The taxonomic status of Leishmania (L.) killicki, a parasite that causes chronic cutaneous leishmaniasis, is not well defined yet. Indeed, some researchers suggested that this taxon could be included in the L. tropica complex, whereas others considered it as a distinct phylogenetic complex. To try to solve this taxonomic issue we carried out a detailed study on the evolutionary history of L. killicki relative to L. tropica.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five L. killicki and 25 L. tropica strains isolated from humans and originating from several countries were characterized using the MultiLocus Enzyme Electrophoresis (MLEE) and the MultiLocus Sequence Typing (MLST) approaches.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of the genetic and phylogenetic analyses strongly support the hypothesis that L. killicki belongs to the L. tropica complex. Our data suggest that L. killicki emerged from a single founder event and that it evolved independently from L. tropica. However, they do not validate the hypothesis that L. killicki is a distinct complex. Therefore, we suggest naming this taxon L. killicki (synonymous L. tropica) until further epidemiological and phylogenetic studies justify the L. killicki denomination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides taxonomic and phylogenetic information on L. killicki and improves our knowledge on the evolutionary history of this taxon.
authors.affiliation: Département de Biologie Clinique B, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie Médicale et Moléculaire (code LR12ES08), Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia. chaara.dhekra@yahoo.fr.|Département de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre National de Référence des Leishmanioses, CHRU de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, France, 39 avenue Charles FLAHAULT, 34295, Montpellier Cedex 5, France. chaara.dhekra@yahoo.fr.|UMR MIVEGEC (CNRS 5290-IRD 224-Université de Montpellier), Montpellier, 34394, France. chaara.dhekra@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Dhekra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chaara
authors.affiliation: Département de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre National de Référence des Leishmanioses, CHRU de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, France, 39 avenue Charles FLAHAULT, 34295, Montpellier Cedex 5, France. christophe.ravel@univ-montp1.fr.|UMR MIVEGEC (CNRS 5290-IRD 224-Université de Montpellier), Montpellier, 34394, France. christophe.ravel@univ-montp1.fr.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ravel
authors.affiliation: UMR MIVEGEC (CNRS 5290-IRD 224-Université de Montpellier), Montpellier, 34394, France. anne-laure.banuls@ird.fr.
authors.forename: Anne- Laure
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bañuls
authors.affiliation: Département de Biologie Clinique B, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie Médicale et Moléculaire (code LR12ES08), Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia. najoua.h@laposte.net.
authors.forename: Najoua
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Haouas
authors.affiliation: Département de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre National de Référence des Leishmanioses, CHRU de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, France, 39 avenue Charles FLAHAULT, 34295, Montpellier Cedex 5, France. lami.patrick@9online.fr.|UMR MIVEGEC (CNRS 5290-IRD 224-Université de Montpellier), Montpellier, 34394, France. lami.patrick@9online.fr.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lami
authors.affiliation: Département de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre National de Référence des Leishmanioses, CHRU de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, France, 39 avenue Charles FLAHAULT, 34295, Montpellier Cedex 5, France. loic.talignani@univ-montp1.fr.|UMR MIVEGEC (CNRS 5290-IRD 224-Université de Montpellier), Montpellier, 34394, France. loic.talignani@univ-montp1.fr.
authors.forename: Loïc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Talignani
authors.affiliation: Département de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre National de Référence des Leishmanioses, CHRU de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, France, 39 avenue Charles FLAHAULT, 34295, Montpellier Cedex 5, France. elbaidourifouad@gmail.com.|UMR MIVEGEC (CNRS 5290-IRD 224-Université de Montpellier), Montpellier, 34394, France. elbaidourifouad@gmail.com.|School of Life Sciences University of Lincoln, Joseph Banks Laboratories, Green Lane, Lincoln, LN6 7DL, UK. elbaidourifouad@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Fouad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: El Baidouri
authors.affiliation: Département de Biologie Clinique B, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie Médicale et Moléculaire (code LR12ES08), Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia. kaoutherj@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kaouther
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jaouadi
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'éco-épidémiologie Parasitaire et Génétique des Populations, Institut Pasteur d'Algérie, Dely Ibrahim, Algeria. zharrat@pasteur.dz.
authors.forename: Zoubir
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Harrat
authors.affiliation: Département de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre National de Référence des Leishmanioses, CHRU de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, France, 39 avenue Charles FLAHAULT, 34295, Montpellier Cedex 5, France. parasito@univ-montp1.fr.|UMR MIVEGEC (CNRS 5290-IRD 224-Université de Montpellier), Montpellier, 34394, France. parasito@univ-montp1.fr.
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dedet
authors.affiliation: Département de Biologie Clinique B, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie Médicale et Moléculaire (code LR12ES08), Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia. hamouda.babba@rns.tn.
authors.forename: Hamouda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Babba
authors.affiliation: Département de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre National de Référence des Leishmanioses, CHRU de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, France, 39 avenue Charles FLAHAULT, 34295, Montpellier Cedex 5, France. f-pratlong@chu-montpellier.fr.|UMR MIVEGEC (CNRS 5290-IRD 224-Université de Montpellier), Montpellier, 34394, France. f-pratlong@chu-montpellier.fr.
authors.forename: Francine
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pratlong
mesh_terms: D004798:Enzymes / Q000032:analysis; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007895:Leishmania tropica / Q000145:classification* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000469:parasitology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004798:Enzymes