DESCRIPTION OF LEISHMANIA (LEISHMANIA) FORATTINII SP-N, A NEW PARASITE INFECTING OPOSSUMS AND RODENTS IN BRAZIL

A new parasite species of Leishmania is described, L. (Leishmania) for attinii sp. n., which was isolated from a pooled triturate of liver an d spleen of a opossum (Didelphis marsupialis aurita) and from skin sam ples from a rodent (Proechimys iheringi denigratus), captured in prima ry forest on the Atlantic Cost of Brazil. Our results on the basis of biological and molecular criteria indicate that this taxonomically dis tinct parasite is a new species of the L. mexicana complex, but closel y related to L. (L.) aristidesi Lainson & Shaw, 1979, as revealed by p henetic and phylogenetic numerical analyses of the enzyme data. L. for attinii was clearly distinguishable from other Leishmania species of t he genus using enzyme electrophoresis, monoclonal antibodies, molecula r karyotypes, analysis of restriction enzyme digestion patterns of kin etoplast DNA (kDNA), as well as the use of kDNA hybridization procedur es.