Mahin Farahmand - Department of Parasitology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
Hasti Atashi Shirazi - Department of Parasitology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
Hossein Nahrevanian - Department of Parasitology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
Homa Hajjaran - Department of Parasitology, Institute of Public Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Objective(s) Leishmania can lead to a broad spectrum of diseases, collectively known as leishmaniasis. The A۲ gene/ protein family could be one of the most eligible candidate factors of virulence in visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The previous results confirmed that in Leishmania infantum, several A۲ proteins are abundantly expressed by the amastigote, but not the promastigote stage. As there are no data available on the pattern of A۲ gene / protein in Iranian Leishmania isolates of either cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) or VL; the current study aimed to investigate molecular analysis of A۲ gene in leishmania species among field isolates of Iran. Materials and Methods An A۲ gene was identified by sequencing of crude PCR products resulting from ۲۰ samples of CL and ۱۰ samples of VL isolates from Iranian patients. Results The results indicated the A۲ gene in CL is only a single copy of ۱۵۳ bp encoding a protein of ۵۱ amino acids, as opposed to A۲ of VL species with multi-copy genes of varying length. A۲ sequences in Iranian L. major strains represented a homology with stage-specific S antigen-like protein (A۲) of L. major and L. infantum. Moreover, A۲ sequences in Iranian L. tropica strains have homology with A۲ protein of L. major and L. tropica. Conclusion It is concluded that A۲ is an antigen candidate for vaccine development and diagnosis purposes and that A۲ sequences are conserved among field isolates.

A۲protein, Iran, Leishmania, L .tropica, L .major, L. infantum