Metagenomic analysis of microorganisms associated with Lutzomyia longipalpis, vector of visceral leishmaniasis.

CHRISTINA B. MCCARTHY; LUIS DIAMBRA; MA. SOLEDAD SANTINI; DANIELA POLVERINO; ROLANDO RIVERA POMAR

Quilmes

Congreso; 1er Congreso Argentino de Bioinformática y Biología Computacional.; 2010

Asociación Argentina de Bioinformática y Biología Computacional (A2B2C)

Leishmaniasis is an insect borne disease of world incidence and visceralleishmaniasis (VL) is its most severe form. In Latin America, VL is caused by Leishmaniainfantum chagasi (= Leishmaniainfantum MON 1) and is transmitted by Lutzomyialongipalpis. This phlebotomine sandfly is only found in the New World andhas an extensive distribution from Mexico to Argentina [1]. Only 14 human cases of leishmaniasis with visceralinvolvement were reported in Argentinafrom 1925 to 1989, yet none were attributed to Le. chagasi. Furthermore, Lu.longipalpis was only reported on two isolated occasions (1951 and 2000)with no associated VL reports [2]. Nevertheless, this situation changed drasticallyat the beginning of this new millennium, largely due to indiscriminate urbanizationdevelopment and the poverty and deficient sanitary conditions this generates. Consequently,the first autochthonous VL focus was recently reported in Argentina [3].To date, the measures that have been developed to target human infectionsand vector control have had unsatisfactory results. The diversity andcomplexity of the different parties involved (vectors, parasites and hostreservoirs) encumber the control of this disease. Consequently, strategies shouldbe designed that take these differences into account.Bacteria have been foundand identified in the digestive tract of various insects [4] and, in some species that transmit parasitesof human importance, these could interfere with their development [5, 6]. Microbiota interfere with the development ofLeishmania in Phlebotomus papatasi [7], vector of this disease in the Old World, butthis still remains to be studied in Lu.longipalpis. It is highly probable that the microorganisms found in itsdigestive tract affect its vectorial capacity and regulate the development of Leishmania. Consequently, an exhaustivemetagenomic survey of the microorganisms associated with Lu. longipalpis would enable the development of effective andenvironmentally friendly methods of control, contribute to the modulation ofvector competence and make significant headway in the understanding of thehost-parasite interaction. In this context, this study has focused onidentifying the microbiota associated with Lu.longipalpis using a metagenomic approach and second generation sequencing.