Two-dimensional electrophoresis used to differentiate the causal agents of American tegumentary leishmaniasis.

American tegumentary leishmaniasis is caused by a diverse group of Leishmania classified within two species complexes: L. mexicana and L. braziliensis. Because distinct disease forms are associated with certain species or subspecies, prognosis requires taxonomic identification of the pathogen. Biological criteria allow identification only to the species level; thus, biochemical and immunological markers are eagerly sought. We have used two-dimensional electrophoresis to examine the relationships among reference strains of New World Leishmania and stocks isolated from Colombian patients. The L. mexicana and L. braziliensis species complexes are shown to be extremely disparate, and the relative affinities of the subspecies reference strains and Colombian Leishmania stocks are documented. The latter displayed a variety of patterns--some clearly identifiable with a particular L. braziliensis subspecies reference strain, others intermediate between those of L.b. panamensis and L.b. guyanensis. Such comparisons are useful both in establishing relatedness and identifying subspecies and variant marker proteins, which may have biological significance.