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PMID: 7957113 Published · ppublish English Comparative Study Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

VSG gene expression site control in insect form Trypanosoma brucei.

The EMBO journal ·Vol. 13 ·No. 22 ·1994-11-15 ·Pages 5470-82

Rudenko G, Blundell PA, Taylor MC, Kieft R, Borst P

Abstract

When the African trypanosome Trypanosoma brucei is taken up from mammals by a tse-tse fly, it replaces its variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) coat by a procyclin coat. Transcription of VSG genes stops in the fly, but transcription of sequences derived from the promoter area of the VSG expression site(s) remains high. Whether this is due to continuing high activity of one promoter or to low activity of many promoters was unclear. We have used the small differences between the sequences of different expression sites to show that multiple expression site promoters are active in insect form trypanosomes. This is confirmed by the low expression of single copy marker genes introduced into the transcribed area. However, if the expression site promoter is removed from the genomic location of the expression site and inserted in the non-transcribed spacer of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA), it is derepressed. Derepression of transcription can also be accomplished by replacing the promoter of an expression site by an rDNA promoter. We conclude that the down-regulation of VSG gene expression site promoters in insect form trypanosomes is affected by both the DNA sequence of the promoter and the genomic context in which it resides.

MeSH Terms
Animals Base Sequence Diptera/parasitology Gene Expression Regulation Genes, Protozoan Genes, Synthetic Genetic Markers Molecular Sequence Data Polymerase Chain Reaction Promoter Regions, Genetic Sequence Alignment Sequence Deletion Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid Transcription, Genetic Trypanosoma brucei brucei/genetics Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma/biosynthesis,genetics
Chemicals
Genetic Markers Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma
Authors & Affiliations
5 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Rudenko G
The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam.
Blundell P A
Taylor M C
Kieft R
Borst P
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Article Info
Journal
The EMBO journal
Abbr.
EMBO J
ISSN
0261-4189
Published
1994-11-15
Pages
5470-82
Language
English
Region
England
NLM ID
8208664
PMCID
PMC395505
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source PMC Full Text View journal details
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