Resumen

ORUE, Andrea; DE ABREU, Nancy Y; MARTINEZ, Clara  y  MENDOZA-LEON, Alexis. Identification of a genomic DNA sequence of Leishmania, specific of Leishmania subgenus. Rev. Soc. Ven. Microbiol. [online]. 2008, vol.28, n.1, pp.06-13. ISSN 1315-2556.

Leishmania is the causal agent of the leishmaniasis disease. The different species of this protozoa parasite are grouped in two subgenera, Viannia and Leishmania, according to their development in the sandfly vector. A specific PCR assay, β500-PCR, has been developed for the Viannia subgenus using the genomic β500 DNA sequence. In the present work we present the isolation and identification of a genomic sequence of 280 bp, L280, obtained from genomic DNA of Leishmania (Leishmania) mexicana after application of the β500-PCR assay at low stringency. After partial sequencing of L280 a PCR assay was generated, L280-PCR, this yielded a product of 260 bp at different conditions of stringency, when genomic DNA of different species of Leishmania subgenus was used. The L280-PCR assay was negative to genomic DNA of species belonging to the Viannia subgenus and also to other kinetoplastid organisms and human. The results suggest specificity of the L280-PCR assay for the Leishmania subgenus.

Palabras clave : Leishmania; molecular identification; molecular marker; leishmaniasis.