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Updated: Aug 22, 2025

High-throughput Gene Tagging in Trypanosoma brucei
Published on: August 12, 2016
About the Analysis of 18S rDNA Sequence Data from Trypanosomes in Barcoding and Phylogenetics: Tracing a Continuation
Antonia S Rackevei1, Alyssa Borges2, Markus Engstler2
1Department of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany.
Abstract:
The variable regions (V1-V9) of the 18S rDNA are routinely used in barcoding and phylogenetics. In handling these data for trypanosomes, we have noticed a misunderstanding that has apparently taken a life of its own in the literature over the years. In particular, in recent years, when studying the phylogenetic relationship of trypanosomes, the use of V7/V8 was systematically established. However, considering the current numbering system for all other organisms (including other Euglenozoa), V7/V8 was never used. In Maia da Silva et al. [Parasitology 2004, 129, 549-561], V7/V8 was promoted for the first time for trypanosome phylogenetics, and since then, more than 70 publications have replicated this nomenclature and even discussed the benefits of the use of this region in comparison to V4. However, the primers used to amplify the variable region of trypanosomes have actually amplified V4 (concerning the current 18S rDNA numbering system).
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