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Ultrastructural Expansion Microscopy in Three In Vitro Life Cycle Stages of Trypanosoma cruzi
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Sequences involved in mRNA processing in Trypanosoma cruzi

Priscila C Campos1, Daniella C Bartholomeu, Wanderson D DaRocha

  • 1Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.

International Journal for Parasitology
|August 14, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Gene expression in Trypanosoma cruzi involves processing polycistronic transcripts into monocistronic mRNAs. This study maps sequence requirements for Spliced Leader (SL) and poly(A) tail addition during mRNA maturation.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Parasitology

Background:

  • Gene expression in Trypanosomatids relies on processing polycistronic transcripts.
  • This processing involves cleavage, Spliced Leader (SL) sequence addition, and poly(A) tailing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the sequence requirements for mRNA processing in Trypanosoma cruzi.
  • To map expressed sequence tags and cDNAs with poly(A) tails and/or SL sequences to genomic regions.

Main Methods:

  • Mapping of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and cDNAs.
  • Analysis of genomic intergenic regions.
  • Identification of Spliced Leader (SL) and poly(A) tail addition sites.

Main Results:

  • Determined median 5' untranslated region (UTR) length of 35 nucleotides.
  • Determined median 3' UTR length of 264 nucleotides.
  • Identified median distances between SL/poly(A) addition sites and polypyrimidine motifs (18 and 40 nucleotides, respectively).

Conclusions:

  • Sequence elements and their distances are critical for mRNA processing in Trypanosoma cruzi.
  • Findings provide insights into the regulation of gene expression in trypanosomatids.

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