Leishmania infantum ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase-2 is an apyrase involved in macrophage infection and expressed in infected dogs.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Visceral leishmaniasis is an important tropical disease, and Leishmania infantum chagasi (synonym of Leishmania infantum) is the main pathogenic agent of visceral leishmaniasis in the New World. Recently, ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolases (E-NTPDases) were identified as enablers of infection and virulence factors in many pathogens. Two putative E-NTPDases (∼70 kDa and ∼45 kDa) have been found in the L. infantum genome. Here, we studied the ∼45 kDa E-NTPDase from L. infantum chagasi to describe its natural occurrence, biochemical characteristics and influence on macrophage infection.

Methodology/principal findings

We used live L. infantum chagasi to demonstrate its natural ecto-nucleotidase activity. We then isolated, cloned and expressed recombinant

SUBMITTER: Vasconcellos Rde S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4230930 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature