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Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease
caused by Leishmania protozoa. Two main forms are found in
the Old World, self-limited cutaneous leishmaniasis and
potentially fatal visceral leishmaniasis, with parasite dissemination to liver, bone marrow, and spleen. The Leishmania
donovani species complex is the causative agent of visceral
leishmaniasis worldwide, but atypical L. donovani strains can
cause cutaneous leishmaniasis. We hypothesized that L.
donovani can adapt to survive in response to restrictions
imposed by the host environment To assess this, we
performed in vivo selection in BALB/c mice with a cutaneous
L. donovani clinical isolate to select for parasites with increased
capacity to survive in visceral organs. We then performed
whole cell proteomic analysis and compared this visceral-selected strain to the original cutaneous clinical isolate and to a visceral
leishmaniasis clinical isolate. Overall, there were no major shifts in proteomic profiles; however, translation, biosynthetic
processes, antioxidant protection, and signaling were elevated in visceral strains. Conversely, transport and trafficking were
elevated in the cutaneous strain. Overall, these results provide new insight into the adaptability of Leishmania parasites to the host
environment and on the factors that mediate their ability to survive in different organs.
