Page "Leishmaniasis" Paragraph 13

Leishmaniasis is caused by infection with the pathogen Leishmania.

The genomes of three Leishmania species ( L. major, L. infantum, and L. braziliensis ) have been sequenced and this has provided much information about the biology of the parasite.

For example, in Leishmania, protein-coding genes are understood to be organized as large polycistronic units in a head-to-head or tail-to-tail manner ; RNA polymerase II transcribes long polycistronic messages in the absence of defined RNA pol II promoters, and Leishmania has unique features with respect to the regulation of gene expression in response to changes in the environment.

The new knowledge from these studies may help identify new targets for urgently needed drugs and aid the development of vaccines.