biostudies-literatureUnknown19(1)Oliveira MPIn a proteomics approach conducted with Leishmania amazonensis, parasite proteins showed either an increase or a decrease in their expression content during extensive in vitro cultivation, and were related to the survival and the infectivity of the parasites, respectively. In the current study, a computational screening was performed to predict virulence factors among these molecules. Three proteins were selected, one of which presented no homology to human proteins. This candidate, namely small myristoylated protein-3 (SMP-3), was cloned, and its recombinant version (rSMP-3) was used to stimulate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy subjects living in an endemic area of leishmaniasis and from visceral leishmaniasis patients. Results showed high interferon-γ (IFN-γ) prodInternational journal of molecular sciencesE129https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC5796078biostudies-literatureSmall Myristoylated Protein-3, Identified as a Potential Virulence Factor in Leishmania amazonensis, Proves to be a Protective Antigen against Visceral Leishmaniasis.PMC5796078Lage DPTeixeira ALCoelho EAFOliveira MPSantos TTOChavez-Fumagalli MAMartins VTCosta LERibeiro PAFMachado-de-Avila RARamos FFSalles BCSDias DSSchneider MSfalseSmall Myristoylated Protein-3, Identified as a Potential Virulence Factor in Leishmania amazonensis, Proves to be a Protective Antigen against Visceral Leishmaniasis.In a proteomics approach conducted with Leishmania amazonensis, parasite proteins showed either an increase or a decrease in their expression content during extensive in vitro cultivation, and were related to the survival and the infectivity of the parasites, respectively. In the current study, a computational screening was performed to predict virulence factors among these molecules. Three proteins were selected, one of which presented no homology to human proteins. This candidate, namely small myristoylated protein-3 (SMP-3), was cloned, and its recombinant version (rSMP-3) was used to stimulate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy subjects living in an endemic area of leishmaniasis and from visceral leishmaniasis patients. Results showed high interferon-γ (IFN-γ) prod2018-01-01T00:00:00Z2018 Jan2025-06-01T03:28:06.167Z2025-06-01T03:28:06.167ZS-EPMC57960782930134210.3390/ijms19010129