Leishmaniasis is a widespread neglected tropical disease caused by parasites of the Leishmania genus. These parasites express the enzyme 3=-nucleotidase/nuclease (3=NT/NU), which has been described to be involved in parasite nutrition and infection. Bacteria that express nucleases escape the toxic effects of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Hence, we investigated the role of 3=NT/NU in Leishmania survival of NET-mediated killing. Promastigotes of Leishmania infantum were cultured in high-phosphate (HP) or low-phosphate (LP) medium to modulate nuclease activity. We compared the survival of the two different groups of Leishmania during interaction with human neutrophils, assessing the role of neutrophil extracellular traps. As previously reported, we detected higher nuclease activity in parasites cultured in LP medium. Both LP and HP promastigotes were capable of inducing the release of neutrophil extracellular traps from human neutrophils in a dose-and time-dependent manner. LP parasites had 2.4 times more survival than HP promastigotes. NET disruption was prevented by the treatment of the parasites with ammonium tetrathiomolybdate (TTM), a 3=NT/NU inhibitor. Inhibition of 3=NT/NU by 3=-AMP, 5=-GMP, or TTM decreased promastigote survival upon interaction with neutrophils. Our results show that Leishmania infantum induces NET release and that promastigotes can escape NET-mediated killing by 3=-nucleotidase/nuclease activity, thus ascribing a new function to this enzyme. N eutrophils are short-lived cells and the most abundant leukocytes in the blood circulation; they constitute one of the first lines of defense against invading microorganisms (1). These granulocytes can kill microorganisms by phagocytosis, degranulation, and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). NETs are weblike structures composed of chromatin, granules, and cytoplasmic proteins that are extruded when neutrophils undergo NETosis, a unique cell death mechanism (2-5). However, recent work challenges NETosis as a cell death mechanism because live neutrophils were detected after NET extrusion in in vivo studies (6). NETs function by killing and containing pathogens, thereby preventing the pathogen's dissemination through the organism. In addition, some studies have indicated that NETs play a role in autoimmune diseases (7-10).A diverse group of stimuli has been described as activating NETosis (5, 11). Among the parasites, Leishmania promastigotes were demonstrated to activate release of NETs (12, 13). Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes interact intimately with NETs and are killed by web-associated histones (12). However, although promastigotes of Leishmania donovani trigger NET release, these parasites escape the toxicity of NETs (13). Groups of microorganisms have evolved different mechanisms of escaping the toxic effects of NETs. Streptococcus pneumoniae, group A Streptococcus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Vibrio cholerae express endonucleases that efficiently degrade DNA filaments from NETs, allowing these bacteria...