Genome-wide identification of phospholipase gene family in Leishmania spp. and their gene expression analysis

Leishmaniasis, which is transmitted to humans by the bite of a sand fly infected with the Leishmania parasite, is one of the seven most important tropical diseases in the world. Understanding the role of phospholipases in Leishmania may have potential effects for the development of new treatments for leishmaniasis. In this study, we aimed to determine the genome-wide analysis of the phospholipase C (PI-PLC) gene family and the expression levels of these genes in Leishmania infantum and Leishmania major. Leishmania genome was analyzed in silico to reveal the members of the PI-PLC gene. Sequences containing domains of the PI-PLC gene family were found and confirmed in the genome of these two species. Multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis were performed using MEGA 6.0 software. Chromosome locations and motif analysis of PI-PLC genes were performed. A total of 29 genes including PI-PLC-X, PI-PLC-Y, and C2 domains were identified for L. infantum and L. major. The number of genes containing PI-PLC-X (6), PI-PLC-Y (4), and C2 (19) domains were found to be the same in both species. The number of amino acids in the proteins found in L. infantum ranged from 245 to 2342, while in L. major, the shortest protein contained 267 amino acids, and the longest protein contained 2241 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the PI-PLC gene family in L. infantum was divided into five subgroups, while the PI-PLC gene family in L. major was divided into six subgroups. When gene expression changes between antimony-sensitive and antimony-resistant strains in L. infantum were analyzed, significant expression changes were determined in four genes. Targeting phospholipases with small molecule inhibitors or other therapeutic agents could potentially disrupt the function of the parasite and help to kill it. However, more research is needed to fully understand the role of phospholipases in Leishmania and to determine the viability of this approach as a treatment option. 2023, 55 pages Keywords: Phospholipase, Gene expression, Leishmania, Pathogenicity