Kinetoplastid membrane protein-11 (KMP-11), a protein present in all kinetoplastid
protozoa studied up to date, is considered a potential vaccine candidate for Leishmaniasis.
Such vaccine molecules must be expressed in amastigotes which represent t
he infective
forms for mammals, while promastigotes are the flagellate forms found in the insect hosts.
However, the expression of KMP-11 in amastigotes is still a subject of controversy. In this
study, a strain of L. tropica was isolated, cultivated, and genotyped. The expression of
KMP-11 gene in this strain was evaluated in promastigotes and in amastigotes by RT-PCR
using specific primer pairs. The results proved the presence of mRNA of KMP-11 in both
promastigotes and amastigotes forms of L. tropica. The expression of this molecule in
amastigotes is consistent with the previously demonstrated immunoprotective capacity of
KMP-11 DNA vaccine as well as the presence of humoral and cellular immune responses
against KMP-11 in Leishmania-infected animals.
