Genetic validation of Leishmania genes essential for amastigote survival in vivo using N-myristoyltransferase as a model.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Proving that specific genes are essential for the intracellular viability of Leishmania parasites within macrophages remains a challenge for the identification of suitable targets for drug development. This is especially evident in the absence of a robust inducible expression system or functioning RNAi machinery that works in all Leishmania species. Currently, if a target gene of interest in extracellular parasites can only be deleted from its genomic locus in the presence of ectopic expression from a wild type copy, it is assumed that this gene will also be essential for viability in disease-promoting intracellular parasites. However, functional essentiality must be proven independently in both life-cycle stages for robust validation of the gene of interest as a putative target

SUBMITTER: Paape D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7071782 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature