Actin-Interacting Proteins in flagellated pathogenic Leishmania spp.: a genome-based bioinformatics report on profilins, formins and katanins

Abstract

In search for genomic and proteomic evidences of flagellar genes/proteins in Leishmania spp., we have used available databases and bioinformatics tools to distinguish Actin-Interacting Proteins (AIPs) that are flagellar and, also, probable virulence factors. Here we present results of sequence and structural analyses of profilins, formins and katanins, whose sequences were in silico selected for predicting viable roles on flagellum assembly, disassembly and dynamics in terms of intraflagellar mechanisms. Taken together, our results provide the first bioinformatics analyses of Leishmania profilin, katanin and formin genes and their gene products to contribute to a more detailed annotation of these important AIPs.