LEISHMANIA RNA VIRUSES IN LEISHMANIA OF THE VIANNIA SUBGENUS

Karyotype analysis of 69 strains of Leishmania belonging to three spec ies of the Viannia subgenus originating from the southeastern and sout hwestern regions of Colombia revealed approximately 5.3-kb RNAs in fou r strains of L. braziliensis and also in the World Health Organization reference strain L. guyanensis IWHI/BR/78/M5313. The RNA element in t his reference strain and in L. braziliensis strains isolated from cuta neous and mucosal lesions of four patients hybridized with RNA probes prepared from cDNA of the RNA virus present in L. guyanensis strain CU MC-1-1A (LRV1-1). These strains also contained an 80-kD protein that r eacted with polyclonal antibody prepared against a recombinant fragmen t of the coat (capsid) protein of LRV1-1. In addition, another Colombi an strain of L. braziliensis was found to contain an approximately 3.5 -kb RNA that did not hybridize with LRV1-1 probes. Contrasting with th e strains containing the 5.3-kb RNA, a total lysate of this strain did not contain material reactive with antiserum to the capsid protein fr agment. All Leishmania containing LRV1-related viruses identified to d ate have originated in the Amazon River basin. Karyotype analyses and biological characterization of 17 clones obtained from the highly meta static L. guyanensis strain 5313 revealed retention of the approximate ly 5.3 kb RNA in all clones and no segregation of the virus with the m etastatic trait. The restricted distribution of LRV1-related viruses a mong some strains of L. braziliensis and L. guyanensis circulating in the Amazon River basin makes these elements potential epidemiologic ma rkers.