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Klocek, D.

Publications and source records attributed to Klocek, D..

2 recordsLinked to original sources
bioRxiv2026

Leishmania guyanensis controls endogenous viral replication by a canonical RNA interference pathway

Protistan parasites of the genus Leishmania, infamous human and animal pathogens, can themselves be infected by endosymbiotic viruses, exemplified by Leishmania RNA viruses (LRVs). These viruses affect immune responses in vertebrate hosts and have been associated with adverse treatment outcomes. How parasites control replication of these viruses is not known. Intriguingly, functional RNA interference (RNAi) pathways that have been associated with antiviral responses across eukaryotes, are retained only in some Leishmania spp., including those of the subgenus Viannia. Here, we investigated effectors in the canonical RNAi response and the Piwi protein of the human pathogen L. (Viannia) guyanensis by gene ablation and identified Dicer-like 1 and Argonaute 1 proteins of the canonical RNAi pathway as critical for controlling viral RNA levels. Notably, we characterized virus-derived small interfering RNA (vsiRNA) levels and their unique properties including terminal modifications as well as, unusual for canonical Dicer cleavage, predominant perfectly matching sequence overlaps in blunt ended vsiRNA duplexes. Taken together, the data suggests that control of viral replication is directly mediated by the canonical RNAi response. This study opens the door to further investigations of antiviral RNAi in other protistan parasites and suggests that, where present, canonical RNAi is critical for such activities. Author summaryLeishmania parasites of humans and animals harbor endosymbiotic viruses, which, in some cases, have been shown to affect vertebrate immune responses and impact treatment. Thus, understanding how viral levels are controlled is critical to identify antiviral effectors, which, in turn, will allow studies on how viral levels impact parasite biology. Here, we investigated RNA interference pathways against its virus of the family Pseudototiviridae in a New World human pathogen L. guyanensis. To do that, we have produced and analyzed genetic knockouts of Dicer-like and Argonaute proteins involved in antiviral small RNA response. Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=78 SRC="FIGDIR/small/743808v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (21K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@939de9org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1643cb4org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1cd6be2org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@165dbf9_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

microbiology↗
bioRxiv2025

The first RNA viruses detected in a trypanosome: novel narnaviruses and a leishmaniavirus in the gecko parasite Trypanosoma platydactyli

BackgroundTrypanosomatids are parasitic flagellates best known for human pathogens causing sleeping sickness, Chagas disease, and leishmaniasis. RNA viruses infecting these protists have recently gained attention for their role in disease severity. While numerous such viruses have been described in Leishmania and several other trypanosomatid genera, none have previously been documented in the iconic genus Trypanosoma. ResultsWe report the first discovery and molecular characterization of RNA viruses in trypanosomes, identifying a leishmaniavirus and two narnaviruses in a single strain of Trypanosoma platydactyli, a parasite of the common wall gecko. The leishmaniavirus genome revealed a conserved organization, including a putative ribosomal frameshift site and a hairpin-like secondary structure typical of the genus. Phylogenetic inference indicates that it is closely related to leishmaniaviruses from Old World Leishmania spp., consistent with shared vector ecology. The two narnaviruses have distinct origins, although both cluster with viruses of other trypanosomatids, suggesting historical exchanges among co-infecting parasites. ConclusionsOur study expands both the known diversity of RNA viruses in trypanosomatids and the range of trypanosomatid genera that host these viruses, providing guidance for future screening. We suggest that vector ecology--particularly feeding behavior--may influence viral acquisition by trypanosomes, explaining the previous absence of viral reports from intensively studied trypanosomes of medical relevance vectored by tsetse flies or kissing bugs. Therefore, overlooked species transmitted by Nematocera represent promising candidates for future viral discovery. This concept extends beyond trypanosomatids, providing a general framework for understanding the conditions that permit viral host switching by viruses among microeukaryotes.

microbiology↗