Cellular localization, cloning and expression of Leishmania braziliensis Phospholipase A₁

Leishmaniasis is caused by several species of protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania and represents an important global health problem. Leishmania braziliensis in particular is responsible of cutaneous and mucocutaneous forms of this parasitosis, with prevalence in Latin America. In the present work, we describe in L. braziliensis promastigotes and amastigotes the presence of a Phospholipase A₁ (PLA₁) activity, an enzyme that catalyses extensive deacylation of phospholipids like phosphatidylcholine. In order to deepen the knowledge about L. braziliensis PLA₁, the cloning and expression of the gene that codifies for this enzyme was carried out in a baculovirus expression system with the obtaintion of a purified recombinant protein that displayed PLA₁ activity. Given that this is the first molecular and functional protein characterization of a PLA₁ in the Leishmania genus, we also performed a phylogenetic analysis of this gene throughout 12 species whose genome sequences were available. The results presented here will contribute to increase the knowledge about trypanosome phospholipases, which could be novel and valuable as potential targets to fight neglected diseases like Leishmaniasis.