Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Parasitology 1735-7020 9 4 2014 12 15 574 583 EN Nour Hammoudeh Dept. of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria. Mahmoud Kweider Dept. of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria. Abdul-Qader Abbady Dept. of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Atomic Energy Commission of Syria(AECS), Damascus, Syria. Chadi Soukkarieh Dept. of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria. 2015 10 14 Background: Leishmania Homologue of receptors for Activated C Kinase(LACK) antigen is a 36-kDa protein, which provokes a very early immune response against Leishmania infection. There are several reports on the expression of LACK through different life-cycle stages of genus Leishmania, but only a few of them have focused on L.tropica. Methods: The present study provides details of the cloning, DNA sequencing and gene expression of LACK in this parasite species. First,several local isolates of Leishmania parasites were typed in our laboratory using PCR technique to verify of Leishmania parasite species. After that,LACK gene was amplified and cloned into a vector for sequencing. Finally,the expression of this molecule in logarithmic and stationary growth phase promastigotes, as well as in amastigotes, was evaluated by Reverse Transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) technique. Results: The typing result confirmed that all our local isolates belong to L.tropica. LACK gene sequence was determined and high similarity was observed with the sequences of other Leishmania species. Furthermore,the expression of LACK gene in both promastigotes and amastigotesforms was confirmed. Conclusion: Overall, the data set the stage for future studies of the properties and immune role of LACK gene products. https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/view/363 https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/download/363/383