Among the virulence factors of Leishmania spp., the metalloprotease GP63 is an important target of investigation. This study analyzed GP63 isoforms from L. (V.) braziliensis, focusing on gene expression profiles and the identification of putative nuclear localization signals (NLSs). Structural analysis of chromosome 10 proteases revealed that gene duplication generated two distinct phylogenetic branches and multiple clades. Sequences similar to previously described NLS-containing regions in GP63 from L. (L.) major were identified in approximately 40% of the L. (V.) braziliensis sequences analyzed. The genes LbrM.10.0530, LbrM.10.1580, LbrM.10.0510, LbrM.10.0580, and LbrM.10.0600 showed the highest relative quantification (RQ) values (3.1 ± 0.08 to 8.5 ± 1.5), whereas LbrM.10.1700 and LbrM.10.0490 exhibited lower modulation (1.1 ± 0.41 to 1.8 ± 1.3) in axenic and intracellular amastigotes compared to promastigotes. The standardized and validated primers enabled accurate quantification of these genes, supporting their application in expression studies of GP63 isoforms during in vitro amastigogenesis. These findings contribute to the characterization of GP63 diversity and expression patterns in L. (V.) braziliensis.
Riguetti et al. (Thu,) studied this question.