Journal Name:
Microbes and Infection
Volume:
10
Issue:
1
Pages From:
1309
To:
1315
Date:
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Keywords:
Leishmania infantum, Visceral leishmaniasis, Cutaneous leishmaniasis, Microsatellite typing, Algeria, polymorphism
Abstract:
The present study applies multilocus microsatellite typing (MLMT) for studying the polymorphism among 55 strains of Leishmania infantum
from Algeria. These strains from different Algerian foci representing different zymodemes, hosts and clinical forms were analysed using 14
microsatellite markers. All 55 strains had individual MLMT profiles and no relationship was observed between them and different host or
geographical origins. Three populations of Algerian L. infantum were identified by a Bayesian clustering approach implemented in STRUCTURE
software and supported by genetic distance analysis. Two populations, A and B, consisted mainly of strains belonging to zymodeme
MON-1, and the third population, C, mainly of MON-24 strains isolated from cutaneous leishmaniasis cases. Interestingly, a small group of
strains appeared as a mixture of different populations and might be putative hybrids. Genetic migration was noticed among the two MON-1
populations, A and B, as well as between populations A and C. Due to its high discriminatory power MLMT could be also successfully applied
for differentiating relapses or re-infection for patients suffering from multiple episodes of visceral leishmaniasis.
