This study identifies the roles of SPO11 paralogs in Leishmania hybridization, showing they are essential for efficient mating and genome segregation.

PLoS Pathogens · Apr 29, 2026Peer-reviewedEvolutionary Biology

Kupffer cell and recruited macrophage heterogeneity orchestrate granuloma maturation and hepatic immunity in visceral leishmaniasis

Gabriela Pessenda, Tiago Rodrigues Ferreira, Andrea Paun, Juraj Kabát, Eduardo P. Amaral, Olena Kamenyeva, Pedro Henrique Gazzinelli-Guimarães, Shehan R. Perera, Sundar Ganesan, Sang Hun Lee, David L. Sacks

The paper shows that macrophage heterogeneity, including resKC-derived and monocyte-derived cells, is critical for granuloma maturation and parasite control in visceral leishmaniasis.

Nature Communications · Apr 1, 2025Peer-reviewedImmunology

Functional characterization of N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10) in Leishmania mexicana

Suellen Rodrigues Maran, Ariely Barbosa Leite, Gabriela Gomes Alves, Bruno Souza Bonifácio, C. Eduardo Gomes Alves, Paulo Otávio Lourenço Moreira, Giovanna Marques Panessa, Heloísa Monteiro do Amaral Prado, Angélica Hollunder Klippel, José Renato Rosa Cussiol, Katlin B. Massirer, Tiago Rodrigues Ferreira, David L. Sacks, Clara Lúcia Barbiéri, Marcelo S. da Silva, , Nilmar Silvio Moretti

This study characterizes NAT10 in Leishmania mexicana, showing its nuclear localization, essentiality, and role in parasite differentiation and metabolism.

Molecular Microbiology · Jan 1, 2025Peer-reviewedMicrobiology