Molecular Diversity between Salivary Proteins from New World and Old World Sand Flies with Emphasis on Bichromomyia olmeca, the Sand Fly Vector of Leishmania mexicana in Mesoamerica

Abstract Leishmaniasis encompasses a spectrum of diseases caused by a protozoan belonging to the genus Leishmania. The parasite is transmitted by the bite of sand flies, which inoculate the promastigote forms into the host’s skin while acquiring a blood meal. Nyssomyia neivai is one of the main vectors of tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL) in Brazil. Southeastern Brazil is an endemic region for TL but also overlaps with an endemic focus for pemphigus foliaceus (PF), also known as Fogo Selvagem. Salivary proteins of sand flies, specifically maxadilan and LJM11, have been related to pemphigus etiopathogenesis in the New World, being proposed as an environmental trigger for autoimmunity. We present a comprehensive description of the salivary transcriptome of the N. neivai, using deep sequencing achieved by the Illumina protocol. In addition, we highlight the abundances of several N. neivai salivary proteins and use phylogenetic analysis to compare with Old- and New-World sand fly salivary proteins. The collection of protein sequences associated with the salivary glands of N. neivai can be useful for monitoring vector control strategies as biomarkers of N. neivai, as well as driving vector-vaccine design for leishmaniasis. Additionally, this catalog will serve as reference to screen for possible antigenic peptide candidates triggering anti-Desmoglein-1 autoantibodies.

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Insights into the salivary N-glycome of Lutzomyia longipalpis, vector of visceral leishmaniasis

10.1101/2020.06.03.132746 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Karina Mondragon-Shem ◽

Katherine Wongtrakul-Kish ◽

Radoslaw P. Kozak ◽

Shi Yan ◽

Iain Wilson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Immune Responses ◽

Sand Fly ◽

Salivary Proteins ◽

Lutzomyia Longipalpis ◽

Sand Flies ◽

Detailed Structural Analysis ◽

Highly Sensitive ◽

Sds Page ◽

Before And After

AbstractDuring Leishmania transmission sand flies inoculate parasites and saliva into the skin of vertebrates. Saliva has anti-haemostatic and anti-inflammatory activities that evolved to facilitate bloodfeeding, but also modulate the host’s immune responses. Sand fly salivary proteins have been extensively studied, but the nature and biological roles of protein-linked glycans remain overlooked. Here, we characterised the profile of N-glycans from the salivary glycoproteins of Lutzomyia longipalpis, vector of visceral leishmaniasis in the Americas. In silico predictions suggest half of Lu. longipalpis salivary proteins may be N-glycosylated. SDS-PAGE coupled to LC-MS analysis of sand fly saliva, before and after enzymatic deglycosylation, revealed several candidate glycoproteins. To determine the diversity of N-glycan structures in sand fly saliva, enzymatically released sugars were fluorescently tagged and analysed by HPLC, combined with highly sensitive LC-MS/MS, MALDI-TOF-MS, and exoglycosidase treatments. We found that the N-glycan composition of Lu. longipalpis saliva mostly consists of oligomannose sugars, with Man5GlcNAc2 being the most abundant, and a few hybrid-type species. Interestingly, some glycans appear modified with a group of 144 Da, whose identity has yet to be confirmed. Our work presents the first detailed structural analysis of sand fly salivary glycans.

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Exploring Lutzomyia longipalpis Sand Fly Vector Competence for Leishmania major Parasites

The Journal of Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/infdis/jiaa203 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 222 (7) ◽

pp. 1199-1203 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Pedro Cecílio ◽

Ana Clara A M Pires ◽

Jesus G Valenzuela ◽

Paulo F P Pimenta ◽

Anabela Cordeiro-da-Silva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New World ◽

Leishmania Major ◽

Vector Competence ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Leishmania Species ◽

Sand Fly ◽

Lutzomyia Longipalpis ◽

Sand Flies ◽

Potential Vector ◽

Natural Vector

Abstract Lutzomyia longipalpis sand flies are the major natural vector of Leishmania infantum parasites, responsible for transmission of visceral leishmaniasis in the New World. Several experimental studies have demonstrated the ability of Lu. longipalpis to sustain development of different Leishmania species. However, no study had explored in depth the potential vector competence of Lu. longipalpis for Leishmania species other than L. infantum. Here, we show that Lu. longipalpis is a competent vector of L. major parasites, being able to acquire parasites from active cutaneous leishmaniasis lesions, sustain mature infections, and transmit them to naive hosts, causing disease.

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Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae): a review

Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências ◽

10.1590/s0001-37652003000300005 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 75 (3) ◽

pp. 301-330 ◽

Cited By ~ 53

Author(s):

Rodrigo P. P. Soares ◽

Salvatore J. Turco

Keyword(s):

Latin America ◽

Rural Areas ◽

New World ◽

Control Measures ◽

Sand Fly ◽

Lutzomyia Longipalpis ◽

Sand Flies ◽

Recent Past ◽

Leishmania Chagasi ◽

Large Cities

Lutzomyia longipalpis is the most important vector of AmericanVisceral Leishmaniasis (AVL) due to Leishmania chagasi in the New World. Despite its importance, AVL, a disease primarily of rural areas, has increased its prevalence and became urbanized in some large cities in Brazil and other countries in Latin America. Although the disease is treatable, other control measures include elimination of infected dogs and the use of insecticides to kill the sand flies. A better understanding of vector biology could also account as one more tool for AVL control. A wide variety of papers about L. longipalpis have been published in the recent past years. This review summarizes our current information of this particular sand fly regarding its importance, biology, morphology, pheromones genetics, saliva, gut physiology and parasite interactions.

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Ecuador Paraiso Escondido Virus, a New Flavivirus Isolated from New World Sand Flies in Ecuador, Is the First Representative of a Novel Clade in the Genus Flavivirus

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.01543-15 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 89 (23) ◽

pp. 11773-11785 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Cigdem Alkan ◽

Sonia Zapata ◽

Laurence Bichaud ◽

Grégory Moureau ◽

Philippe Lemey ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Phylogenetic Analysis ◽

Yellow Fever ◽

New World ◽

Yellow Fever Virus ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Fever Virus ◽

Sand Fly ◽

Surprising Result ◽

Sand Flies ◽

Content Type

ABSTRACTA new flavivirus, Ecuador Paraiso Escondido virus (EPEV), named after the village where it was discovered, was isolated from sand flies (Psathyromyia abonnenci, formerlyLutzomyia abonnenci) that are unique to the New World. This represents the first sand fly-borne flavivirus identified in the New World. EPEV exhibited a typical flavivirus genome organization. Nevertheless, the maximum pairwise amino acid sequence identity with currently recognized flaviviruses was 52.8%. Phylogenetic analysis of the complete coding sequence showed that EPEV represents a distinct clade which diverged from a lineage that was ancestral to the nonvectored flaviviruses Entebbe bat virus, Yokose virus, and Sokoluk virus and also theAedes-associated mosquito-borne flaviviruses, which include yellow fever virus, Sepik virus, Saboya virus, and others. EPEV replicated in C6/36 mosquito cells, yielding high infectious titers, but failed to reproduce either in vertebrate cell lines (Vero, BHK, SW13, and XTC cells) or in suckling mouse brains. This surprising result, which appears to eliminate an association with vertebrate hosts in the life cycle of EPEV, is discussed in the context of the evolutionary origins of EPEV in the New World.IMPORTANCEThe flaviviruses are rarely (if ever) vectored by sand fly species, at least in the Old World. We have identified the first representative of a sand fly-associated flavivirus, Ecuador Paraiso Escondido virus (EPEV), in the New World. EPEV constitutes a novel clade according to current knowledge of the flaviviruses. Phylogenetic analysis of the virus genome showed that EPEV roots theAedes-associated mosquito-borne flaviviruses, including yellow fever virus. In light of this new discovery, the New World origin of EPEV is discussed together with that of the other flaviviruses.

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Micro-CT visualization of a promastigote secretory gel (PSG) and parasite plug in the digestive tract of the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis infected with Leishmania mexicana

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽

10.1371/journal.pntd.0009682 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (8) ◽

pp. e0009682

Author(s):

Martin J. R. Hall ◽

Debashis Ghosh ◽

Daniel Martín-Vega ◽

Brett Clark ◽

Innes Clatworthy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Meal ◽

Blood Feeding ◽

Sand Fly ◽

Laboratory Model ◽

Lutzomyia Longipalpis ◽

Sand Flies ◽

Leishmania Mexicana ◽

Micro Computed Tomography ◽

The Tropics ◽

The Impact

Leishmaniasis is a debilitating disease of the tropics, subtropics and southern Europe caused by Leishmania parasites that are transmitted during blood feeding by phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae). Using non-invasive micro-computed tomography, we were able to visualize the impact of the laboratory model infection of Lutzomyia longipalpis with Leishmania mexicana and its response to a second blood meal. For the first time we were able to show in 3D the plug of promastigote secretory gel (PSG) and parasites in the distended midgut of whole infected sand flies and measure its volume in relation to that of the midgut. We were also able to measure the degree of opening of the stomodeal valve and demonstrate the extension of the PSG and parasites into the pharynx. Although our pilot study could only examine a few flies, it supports the hypothesis that a second, non-infected, blood meal enhances parasite transmission as we showed that the thoracic PSG-parasite plug in infected flies after a second blood meal was, on average, more than twice the volume of the plug in infected flies that did not have a second blood meal.

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The susceptibility of wild caught sand flies to infection by a subspecies of Leishmania mexicana isolated from proechimys iheringi denigratus (Rodentia, echimyidae)

Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz ◽

10.1590/s0074-02761986000200015 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 81 (2) ◽

pp. 235-236 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Air C. Barretto ◽

Julio A. Vexenat ◽

Norman E. Peterson

Keyword(s):

Natural Infection ◽

Sand Fly ◽

Sand Flies ◽

Leishmania Mexicana ◽

Experimental Infections

Several species of wild caught sand flies were collected in the same site where a subspecies of leishmania mexicana was isolated from the rodent Proechimys iheringi denigratus. The absence of natural infection in these sand flies permitted us to test, with relative assurance, the susceptibility of wild caught females to infection by this parasite. the success obtained in these experimental infections suggest that one or more of the sand fly species encountered in high numbers in the same site where the infected rodents were captured may be the vector(s) of this subspecies of l. mexicana.

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