Paul A. Bates

TL;DR: The current understanding of the mechanisms that Leishmania parasites use to ensure their transmission from sand fly vectors by bite is reviewed, and the most important mechanism is the creation of a “blocked fly” resulting from the secretion of promastigote secretory gel by the parasites in the anterior midgut.

TL;DR: It is demonstrated that there is little variation in unique gene content across Leishmania species, but large-scale genetic heterogeneity can result through gene amplification on disomic chromosomes and variation in chromosome number.

TL;DR: Analysis of inocula from Leishmania mexicana-infected Lutzomyia longipalpis sand flies revealed the size of the infectious dose, the underlying mechanism of parasite delivery by regurgitation, and the novel contribution made to infection by filamentous proteophosphoglycan (fPPG), a component of promastigote secretory gel found to accompany the parasites during transmission.

TL;DR: The role of the PSG is supported in the transmission of leishmaniasis, by conditioning the midgut environment for metacyclogenesis and altering the feeding ability of infected sandflies.

TL;DR: It was found that adjustment of the pH of the growth medium to 5.4 was required in order to retain the amastigote morphology of the cultured parasites, which supports the notion that leishmanial amastsigotes are acidophiles.