Evolutionary genomics of Leishmania braziliensis across the neotropical realm.

ABSTRACT: The Neotropical realm, one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth, houses a broad range of zoonoses that pose serious public health threats. Protozoan parasites of the Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis clade cause zoonotic leishmaniasis in Latin America with clinical symptoms ranging from simple cutaneous to destructive, disfiguring mucosal lesions. We present the first comprehensive genome-wide continental study including 257 cultivated isolates representing most of the geographical distribution of this major human pathogen. The L. braziliensis clade is genetically highly heterogeneous, consisting of divergent parasite groups that are associated with different environments and vary greatly in diversity. Apart from several small ecologically isolated groups with little diversity, our samp

SUBMITTER: Heeren S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11605123 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature