Pathogenomics of Trypanosomatid Parasites

The family Trypanosomatidae of the protistan order Kinetoplastida includes three major lineages of human pathogens – the Leishmania and the African and American trypanosomes – that each rank within the top 10 in terms of global impact. The combined impact measured by DALY of these three parasites approaches 5 million. Perhaps unlike the situation found in other groups of eukaryotic pathogens, trypanosomatids present two unique challenges. First is the fact that within each of the three major lineages, a wide range of disease pathologies is found. Thus, we are probing multiple diseases. Second is the fact that the trypanosomatids are relatively ancient, with divergences amongst the major lineages ranging from 200-500 million years ago. Thus, there is a wide range of evolutionary and pathological ‘space’ to be explored by genomic methods, accompanied by great opportunities for new insights and discovery. The goals of this sequencing effort include improvement of: 1) our understanding of the mechanisms by which these pathogens cause disease; 2) our ability to influence the severity of these diseases through chemo- or immuno- prophylaxis and treatment; and, 3) our understanding of the biology that led these organisms to evolve into such successful pathogens.