Evolutive History of <i>Leishmania</i> Genus and Differential Diagnosis of Clinical Important Species Based on a Unique Kinetoplastida Chitinase

Introduction: Leishmaniasis, a neglected infectious disease affecting humans, domestic, and wild animals, is caused by 20 from 53 Leishmania genus species transmitted sandflies. genus, belonging to the Trypanosomatidae family Kinetoplastida order, are grouped into five subgroups according biogeographic evolutive history of parasites hosts, leading incongruences paraphyly. The GH18 chitinase, which encoded species-specific single-copy gene, conserved in basal groups trypanosomatids, absent Trypanosoma , was evaluated as phylogenetic marker diagnostic target. Methods: Primers were designed detect its host biological samples obtain chitinase sequence that unavailable public databanks. gene genomic context phylogenetically. A protocol developed discriminate subgenera adopting polymerase chain reaction (PCR) restriction fragment length polymorphism using silico tools. adopted PCR method for detecting partial 953 bp chitinase-encoding represented high sensibility specificity on DNA isolated used negative controls, cruzi hosts . Results: Preservation locus aquatic free-living protozoan Bodo saltans disclosed primitive common origin. Based comparative analysis, amino acid trypanosomatidae demonstrated similarity marine prokaryotes protozoans. Phylogenetic reconstruction based corroborated Supercontinent Origins Theory Conclusion: effectively detected thus could be considered differential molecular diagnosis among clinical important worldwide.