GENETIC DATA SHOWING EVOLUTIONARY LINKS BETWEEN LEISHMANIA AND ENDOTRYPANUM

Striking similarities at the morphological, molecular and biological l evels exist between many trypanosomatids isolated from sylvatic insect s and/or vertebrate reservoir hosts that make the identification of me dically important parasites demanding. Some molecular data have pointe d to the relationship between some Leishmania species and Endotrypanum , which has an important epidemiological significance and can be helpf ul to understand the evolution of those parasites. In this study, Mle have demonstrated a close genetic relationship between Endotrypanum an d two new leishmanial species, L. (V.) colombiensis and L. (V.) equato rensis. We have used (a) numerical zymotaxonomy and (b) the variabilit y of the internal transcribed spacers of the rRNA genes to examine rel ationships in this group. The evolutionary trees obtained, revealed hi gh genetic similarity between L. (V.) colombiensis, L. (V.) equatorens is and Endotrypanum, for ming a tight cluster of parasites. Based on f urther results of (c) minicircle kDNA heterogeneity analysis and (d) m easurement of the sialidase activity these parasites were also grouped together.