Proteomics as a tool to understand Leptospira physiology and virulence: Recent advances, challenges and clinical implications.

Leptospirosis is a severe disease that represents a significant burden to healthcare costs in the absence of prophylactic measures. There is no effective vaccine for humans. Although Leptospira genome sequencing has broadened our current knowledge of the life cycle and evolution of these bacteria, there is still much to be understood regarding the pathophysiological features of this organism. In tropical, underdeveloped regions, it is the predominant human disease. Pathogenic bacteria of the genus Leptospira are the etiological agents of leptospirosis. This review addresses the contributions made to our knowledge of leptospirosis based on proteomic strategies. We present here the advances made on several fronts in understanding the infectious agent Leptospira, from the initial 2D-gel electrophoresis proteomics approach to more advanced mass spectrometry (MS) technologies. This review provides an update on proteomic studies of Leptospira spp. and should be constructive in further investigations of these bacteria, in our fight against leptospirosis.