Figure 1.

Overview of the L. (L.) mexicana complex. (A) Classification of the Leishmania genus, subgenus and species complex (adapted from the WHO reports and Bates, 2007). Leishmania (L.) amazonensis and L. (L.) mexicana belong to the L. (L.) mexicana complex, subgenus Leishmania, and are causative agents of New World cutaneous leishmaniasis in which diffuse or disseminated lesions are hallmarks. The genomes of the species marked in red were employed in the present comparative analyses [*L. (S.) tarentolae was employed only in the amastin phylogenetic study]. (B) Large parasitophorous vacuoles (PVs) of L. (L.) amazonensis. Phase contrast microscopy image (left) of a bone marrow-derived macrophage containing a spacious PV (asterisk) lined with rounded amastigotes. Bar = 10 μm. Field-emission scanning electron micrograph (right) of an amastigote-hosting macrophage. The fractured sample indicated that amastigote forms (in red) were contained in a spacious PV. Bar = 5 μm.