Available online 30 May 2023, 110661

The L. amazonensis PH8 strain was assembled into 34 pseudochromosomes.

In total, 190 new genes were annotated, including gene encoding virulence factors.

A2 proteins family was annotated for the first time in the genome of L. amazonensis.

Heme and iron metabolism related-genes are conserved in visceral leishmaniasis species.

Two strategies using CRISPR were proposed for L. amazonensis genome editing.

We report the sequencing and assembly of the PH8 strain of Leishmania amazonensis one of the etiological agents of leishmaniasis. After combining data from long Pacbio reads, short Illumina reads and synteny with the Leishmania mexicana genome, the sequence of 34 chromosomes with 8317 annotated genes was generated. Multigene families encoding three virulence factors, A2, amastins and the GP63 metalloproteases, were identified and compared to their annotation in other Leishmania species. As they have been recently recognized as virulence factors essential for disease establishment and progression of the infection, we also identified 14 genes encoding proteins involved in parasite iron and heme metabolism and compared to genes from other Trypanosomatids. To follow these studies with a genetic approach to address the role of virulence factors, we tested two CRISPR-Cas9 protocols to generate L. amazonensis knockout cell lines, using the Miltefosine transporter gene as a proof of concept.

Leishmania amazonensis

Genome

Multigene families

Virulence factors

CRISPR editing

all data is available

© 2023 Published by Elsevier Inc.