Leishmania (V.) braziliensis M2903 presents a small linear and stable 245 kb chromosome originating from a genomic amplification. Similar amplifications present in other species of
Leishmania
contain a gene coding for a biopterin transporter. Since
Leishmania is auxotrophic for this metabolite, this amplification could result from the need to better capture biotpterin from growth media under specific circumstances. In this paper we show that this gene is also present in
L. (V.) braziliensis small chromosome, which shares sequences with other genomic amplifications already described.
