Generating knock-in parasites: integration of an ornithine decarboxylase transgene into its chromosomal locus in Leishmania donovani

Leishmania null mutants created by targeted gene replacement are typically complemented with chimeric episomes harboring the replaced gene in order to validate that the observed phenotype is due to the specific gene deletion. However, the current inventory of available episomes for complementation of genetic lesions in Leishmania is unstable in the absence of drug selection, and levels of gene expression cannot be controlled, especially in vivo. To circumvent this impediment, a strategy to re-introduce the targeted gene into the original chromosomal locus to generate “knock-in” parasites within selectable null backgrounds has been developed. A genomic fragment encompassing the ornithine decarboxylase locus and lacking heterologous DNA sequences was transfected into ornithine decarboxylase-deficient Leishmania donovani. The construct randomly integrated into either chromosomal allele by homologous recombination restoring polyamine prototrophy and revealing that LdODC was functionally expressed in the knock-in clones. This strategy offers a mechanism for complementing a genetic lesion amenable to positive selection in a manner that facilitates stable gene expression from its original locus in the absence of continuous drug pressure.