title: The genetics of Leishmania virulence.
abstract: The ability of Leishmania parasites to infect and persist in the antigen-presenting cell population of their mammalian hosts is dependent on their ability to gain entry to their host and host cells, to survive the mammalian cell environment, and to suppress or evade the protective immune response mechanisms of their hosts. A multitude of genes and their products have been implicated in each of these virulence-enhancing strategies to date, and we present an overview of the nature and known function of such virulence genes.
authors.affiliation: Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht St 74, 20359, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bifeld
authors.affiliation: Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht St 74, 20359, Hamburg, Germany. clos@bnitm.de.
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clos
mesh_terms: D000220:Adaptation, Biological; D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology; D055354:Exosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D056084:Genetic Fitness; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D057131:Immune Evasion; D056747:Immunomodulation; D007891:Leishmania / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012307:Risk Factors; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D015800:Protozoan Proteins
keywords: Immune modulation; Intracellular pathogen; Leishmania; Virulence