Editing Leishmania (section)

==Taxonomy==

53 species are recognised in this genus. The status of several of these is disputed, so the final number may differ.<ref name=":1" /> At least 20 species infect humans.<ref name=":2" /> To make things more complex, [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrids]] might be involved, as it has been reported in Brazil with a hybrid between ''Leishmania (V.) guyanensis'' and ''Leishmania (V.) shawi shawi''.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Jennings | first1 = Y. L. | last2 = de Souza | first2 = A. A. A. | last3 = Ishikawa | first3 = E. A. | last4 = Shaw | first4 = J. | last5 = Lainson | first5 = R. | last6 = Silveira | first6 = F. | year = 2014 | title = Phenotypic characterization of ''Leishmania'' spp. causing cutaneous leishmaniasis in the lower Amazon region, western Pará state, Brazil, reveals a putative hybrid parasite, ''Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis'' × ''Leishmania (Viannia) shawi shawi'' | journal = Parasite | volume = 21 | page = 39 | doi = 10.1051/parasite/2014039 | pmid = 25083790 | pmc = 4118625 }}</ref>

The genus is presently divided into 4 subgenera: ''Leishmania'', ''Sauroleishmania'', ''Mundinia'' and ''Viannia''. The division into the two subgenera (''Leishmania'' and ''Viannia'') was made by Lainson and Shaw in 1987 on the basis of their location within the insect gut. The species in the ''Viannia'' subgenus develop in the hind gut:  ''L. (V.) braziliensis'' has been proposed as the type species for this subgenus. This division has been confirmed by all subsequent studies. Shaw, Camargo and Teixeira created the subgenus ''Mundinia'' while revising Leishmaniinae in 2016.<ref name="pmid27976601">{{cite journal | last1 = Espinosa | first1 = O.A. | last2 = Serrano | first2 = M.G. | last3 = Camargo | first3 = E.P. | first4 = Teixeira | last4 = M.M.G. | first5 = Shaw | last5 =  J.J. | year = 2016 | title = An appraisal of the taxonomy and nomenclature of trypanosomatids presently classified as ''Leishmania' 'and' 'Endotrypanum'' | journal = Parasitology | volume= 145| issue = 4 | pages= 430–442| doi=10.1017/S0031182016002092 | pmid = 27976601| s2cid = 41544524 }}</ref>

''[[Endotrypanum schaudinni|Endotrypanum]]'' is closely related to ''Leishmania''. Some ''Endotypanum'' species are unique in that they infect the erythrocytes of their hosts (sloths). All species are confined to Central and South America.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Franco | first1 = AM | last2 = Grimaldi | first2 = G Jr | year = 1999 | title = Characterization of ''Endotrypanum'' (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae), a unique parasite infecting the neotropical tree sloths (Edentata) | journal = Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz | volume = 94 | issue = 2| pages = 261–268 | doi=10.1590/s0074-02761999000200026| pmid = 10224540 | doi-access = free }}</ref> ''E. colombiensis'' infections have been found in man.

''Sauroleishmania'' was originally described by Ranquein 1973 as a separate genus, but molecular studies suggest this is actually a subgenus rather than a separate genus.

The proposed division of the ''Leishmania'' into ''[[Euleishmania]]'' and ''[[Paraleishmania]]'' groups in 2000 emphasized the deep phylogenic distance between parasites, some of which had been named as ''Leishmania'' species.<ref name=Momen2000>{{cite journal | last1 = Momen | first1 = H | last2 = Cupolillo | first2 = E | year = 2000 | title = Speculations on the origin and evolution of the genus ''Leishmania'' | journal = Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz | volume = 95 | issue = 4| pages = 583–588 | doi=10.1590/s0074-02762000000400023 | pmid=10904419| doi-access = free }}</ref> The ''Euleishmania'' included species currently placed in the subgenera ''Leishmania'', ''Sauroleishmania'', ''Mundinia'' and ''Viannia''. The proposed ''Paraleishmania'' included species of ''Endotypanum,'' ''Leishmamnia''-''L. colomubensis'', ''L. herreri'', ''L. hertigi''and ''L. deanei'' and ''L. equatorensis''. In a recent revision these species were given different generic status.
 
Four subgenera of ''Leishmania'' are now recognised - ''Leishmania'', ''Sauroleishmania'', ''Viannia'' and ''Mundinia'' (the ''L. enriettii'' complex). The genus ''Endotrypanum'' and ''Porcisia'' belong to the ''Paraleishmania''.

There are four ''Mundinia'' species - ''L. (Mundinia) enriettii'',  ''L. (Mundinia) martiniquensis'', ''L. (Mundinia) macropodum'', and ''L. (Mundinia) orientalis,'' which is found in Thailand.<ref name="Jariyapan2018">{{cite journal | last1 = Jariyapan | first1 = N | last2 = Daroontum | first2 = T | last3 = Jaiwong | first3 = K | last4 = Chanmol | first4 = W | last5 = Intakhan | first5 = N | last6 = Sor-Suwan | first6 = S | last7 = Siriyasatien | first7 = P | last8 = Somboon | first8 = P | last9 = Bates | first9 = MD | last10 = Bates | first10 = PA | year = 2018 | title = ''Leishmania (Mundinia) orientalis'' n. sp. (Trypanosomatidae), a parasite from Thailand responsible for localised cutaneous leishmaniasis | journal = Parasit Vectors | volume = 11 | issue = 1| page = 351 | doi = 10.1186/s13071-018-2908-3 | pmid = 29914526 | pmc = 6006788 | doi-access = free }}</ref>

''L. archibaldi'''s specific status is unsettled but it is closely related to ''L. donovani''.
 
''L. herreri'' belongs to the genus ''Endotypanum'' rather than to ''Leishmania''.

''L. donovani'' and ''L. infantum'' are closely related.

===Notes===

The selenoenzyme ''Seltryp'' appears to be unique to this order.<ref name=Mariana2016>{{cite journal|first1=Mariana|last1=Bonilla|first2=Erika|last2=Krull|first3=Florencia|last3=Irigoín|first4=Gustavo|last4=Salinas|title=Selenoproteins of African trypanosomes are dispensable for parasite survival in a mammalian host|journal=Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology|pages=13–19|volume=206|issue=1–2|doi=10.1016/j.molbiopara.2016.03.002|pmid=26975431|first5=Marcelo A.|last5=Comini|year=2016}}</ref> It has been removed from the subgenus ''Viannia''.

''L. deanei'' and ''L. hertigi'', both of which infect porcupines have been moved to the genus ''Porcisia.''