scholarly journals Activity of a Trypanosome Metacyclic Variant Surface Glycoprotein Gene Promoter Is Dependent upon Life Cycle Stage and Chromosomal Context

1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 1137-1146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheila V. Graham ◽  
Ben Wymer ◽  
J. David Barry
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Gene Promoter ◽  
Life Cycle Stage ◽  
Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Variant Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Mammalian Host ◽  
African Trypanosomes ◽  
Highly Active ◽  
Internal Position

ABSTRACT African trypanosomes evade the mammalian host immune response by antigenic variation, the continual switching of their variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) coat. VSG is first expressed at the metacyclic stage in the tsetse fly as a preadaptation to life in the mammalian bloodstream. In the metacyclic stage, a specific subset (<28; 1 to 2%) of VSG genes, located at the telomeres of the largest trypanosome chromosomes, are activated by a system very different from that used for bloodstream VSG genes. Previously we showed that a metacyclic VSG (M-VSG) gene promoter was subject to life cycle stage-specific control of transcription initiation, a situation unique in Kinetoplastida, where all other genes are regulated, at least partly, posttranscriptionally (S. V. Graham and J. D. Barry, Mol. Cell. Biol. 15:5945–5956, 1985). However, while nuclear run-on analysis had shown that the ILTat 1.22 M-VSG gene promoter was transcriptionally silent in bloodstream trypanosomes, it was highly active when tested in bloodstream-form transient transfection. Reasoning that chromosomal context may contribute to repression of M-VSG gene expression, here we have integrated the 1.22 promoter, linked to a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene, back into its endogenous telomere or into a chromosomal internal position, the nontranscribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA, in both bloodstream and procyclic trypanosomes. Northern blot analysis and CAT activity assays show that in the bloodstream, the promoter is transcriptionally inactive at the telomere but highly active at the chromosome-internal position. In contrast, it is inactive in both locations in procyclic trypanosomes. Both promoter sequence and chromosomal location are implicated in life cycle stage-specific transcriptional regulation of M-VSG gene expression.

scholarly journals Transcriptional regulation of metacyclic variant surface glycoprotein gene expression during the life cycle of Trypanosoma brucei.

1995 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 5945-5956 ◽  
Author(s):  
S V Graham ◽  
J D Barry
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Transcriptional Regulation ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Life Cycle Stage ◽  
Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Variant Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Mammalian Host ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
African Trypanosomes ◽  
Specific Subset

In antigenic variation in African trypanosomes, switching of the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) allows evasion of the mammalian host immune response. Trypanosomes first express the VSG in the tsetse fly vector, at the metacyclic stage, in preparation for transfer into the mammal. In this life cycle stage, a small, specific subset (1 to 2%) of VSGs are activated, and we have shown previously that the system of activation and expression of metacyclic VSG (M-VSG) genes is very different from that used for bloodstream VSG genes (S.V. Graham, K.R. Matthews, P.G. Shiels, and J.D. Barry, Parasitology 101:361-367, 1990). Now we show that unlike other trypanosome genes including bloodstream VSG genes, M-VSG genes are expressed from promoters subject to exclusively transcriptional regulation in a life cycle stage-dependent manner. We have located an M-VSG gene promoter, and we demonstrate that it is specifically up-regulated at the metacyclic stage. This is the first demonstration of gene expression being regulated entirely at the level of transcription among the Kinetoplastida; all other protein-coding genes examined in these organisms are, at least partly, under posttranscriptional control. The distinctive mode of expression of M-VSG genes may be due to a stochastic mechanism for metacyclic VSG activation.

scholarly journals Distinct, developmental stage-specific activation mechanisms of trypanosome VSG genes

Parasitology ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 101 (3) ◽  
pp. 361-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. V. Graham ◽  
K. R. Matthews ◽  
P. G. Shiels ◽  
J. D. Barry
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Expression System ◽  
Model System ◽  
Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Variant Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Gene Repertoire ◽  
African Trypanosomes ◽  
Activation Mechanisms

SUMMARYThe metacyclic form of African trypanosomes is the first to express genes for the Variant Surface Glycoprotein (VSG) and it uses an unusually predictable subset of the VSG gene repertoire. We have developed a model system for the analysis of metacyclic VSG (M-VSG) gene expression and have used this to demonstrate that, for two M-VSG genes, different modes of expression operate in the insect and mammalian phases of the life-cycle. In metacyclic-derived clones, these genes are expressed in situ, whereas they are routinely activated by duplication in bloodstream trypanosomes. The expression loci for both M-VSG genes studied are structurally simple and we present a model, based on this, for the maintenance of a separate M-VSG repertoire and expression system.

scholarly journals A similar gene is shared by both the variant surface glycoprotein and procyclin gene transcription units of Trypanosoma brucei

1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1473-1479
Author(s):  
M Berberof ◽  
A Pays ◽  
E Pays
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Trypanosoma Brucei ◽  
Gene Transcription ◽  
Transcription Unit ◽  
Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Variant Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Polycistronic Transcription ◽  
Expression Site ◽  
Similar Gene

The genes for the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) and procyclin are expressed in a mutually exclusive manner during the life cycle of Trypanosoma brucei and synthesize the most abundant mRNAs specific to the bloodstream and procyclic stages of the parasite, respectively. Genes belonging to the polycistronic transcription unit of the VSG gene (expression site-associated genes [ESAGs]) are uniquely expressed in the bloodstream form, but some members of ESAG families (genes related to ESAGs [GRESAGs]) are independently transcribed outside the VSG gene expression site. We report here that a gene related to ESAG 2, GRESAG 2.1, is present and expressed in a procyclin gene transcription unit (PARP A locus), which is polycistronic. Members of the ESAG 2 family are thus present in the two major differentially stage-regulated transcription units of this parasite.

scholarly journals RNA Polymerase I Transcribes Procyclin Genes and Variant Surface Glycoprotein Gene Expression Sites in Trypanosoma brucei

2003 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 542-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur Günzl ◽  
Thomas Bruderer ◽  
Gabriele Laufer ◽  
Bernd Schimanski ◽  
Lan-Chun Tu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Trypanosoma Brucei ◽  
Protein C ◽  
Gene Promoter ◽  
Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Variant Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Rna Pol Ii ◽  
Pol Ii ◽  
Pol I

ABSTRACT In eukaryotes, RNA polymerase (pol) I exclusively transcribes the large rRNA gene unit (rDNA) and mRNA is synthesized by RNA pol II. The African trypanosome, Trypanosoma brucei, represents an exception to this rule. In this organism, transcription of genes encoding the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) and the procyclins is resistant to α-amanitin, indicating that it is mediated by RNA pol I, while other protein-coding genes are transcribed by RNA pol II. To obtain firm proof for this concept, we generated a T. brucei cell line which exclusively expresses protein C epitope-tagged RNA pol I. Using an anti-protein C immunoaffinity matrix, we specifically depleted RNA pol I from transcriptionally active cell extracts. The depletion of RNA pol I impaired in vitro transcription initiated at the rDNA promoter, the GPEET procyclin gene promoter, and a VSG gene expression site promoter but did not affect transcription from the spliced leader (SL) RNA gene promoter. Fittingly, induction of RNA interference against the RNA pol I largest subunit in insect-form trypanosomes significantly reduced the relative transcriptional efficiency of rDNA, procyclin genes, and VSG expression sites in vivo whereas that of SL RNA, αβ-tubulin, and heat shock protein 70 genes was not affected. Our studies unequivocally show that T. brucei harbors a multifunctional RNA pol I which, in addition to transcribing rDNA, transcribes procyclin genes and VSG gene expression sites.

scholarly journals A similar gene is shared by both the variant surface glycoprotein and procyclin gene transcription units of Trypanosoma brucei.

1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1473-1479 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Berberof ◽  
A Pays ◽  
E Pays
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Trypanosoma Brucei ◽  
Gene Transcription ◽  
Transcription Unit ◽  
Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Variant Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Polycistronic Transcription ◽  
Expression Site ◽  
Similar Gene

The genes for the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) and procyclin are expressed in a mutually exclusive manner during the life cycle of Trypanosoma brucei and synthesize the most abundant mRNAs specific to the bloodstream and procyclic stages of the parasite, respectively. Genes belonging to the polycistronic transcription unit of the VSG gene (expression site-associated genes [ESAGs]) are uniquely expressed in the bloodstream form, but some members of ESAG families (genes related to ESAGs [GRESAGs]) are independently transcribed outside the VSG gene expression site. We report here that a gene related to ESAG 2, GRESAG 2.1, is present and expressed in a procyclin gene transcription unit (PARP A locus), which is polycistronic. Members of the ESAG 2 family are thus present in the two major differentially stage-regulated transcription units of this parasite.

scholarly journals Gene conversions mediating antigenic variation in Trypanosoma brucei can occur in variant surface glycoprotein expression sites lacking 70-base-pair repeat sequences.

1997 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 833-843 ◽  
Author(s):  
R McCulloch ◽  
G Rudenko ◽  
P Borst
Keyword(s):  
Gene Conversion ◽  
Antigenic Variation ◽  
Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Variant Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Mammalian Host ◽  
Recognition Sequence ◽  
African Trypanosomes ◽  
Repeat Sequences ◽  
Active Expression ◽  
Expression Site

African trypanosomes undergo antigenic variation of their variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) coat to avoid immune system-mediated killing by their mammalian host. An important mechanism for switching the expressed VSG gene is the duplicative transposition of a silent VSG gene into one of the telomeric VSG expression sites of the trypanosome, resulting in the replacement of the previously expressed VSG gene. This process appears to be a gene conversion reaction, and it has been postulated that sequences within the expression site may act to initiate and direct the reaction. All bloodstream form expression sites contain huge arrays (many kilobase pairs) of 70-bp repeat sequences that act as the 5' boundary of gene conversion reactions involving most silent VSG genes. For this reason, the 70-bp repeats seemed a likely candidate to be involved in the initiation of switching. Here, we show that deletion of the 70-bp repeats from the active expression site does not affect duplicative transposition of VSG genes from silent expression sites. We conclude that the 70-bp repeats do not appear to function as indispensable initiation sites for duplicative transposition and are unlikely to be the recognition sequence for a sequence-specific enzyme which initiates recombination-based VSG switching.

scholarly journals Targeting the Variable Surface of African Trypanosomes with Variant Surface Glycoprotein-Specific, Serum-Stable RNA Aptamers

2003 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mihaela Lorger ◽  
Markus Engstler ◽  
Matthias Homann ◽  
H. Ulrich Göringer
Keyword(s):  
Antigenic Variation ◽  
Sleeping Sickness ◽  
Rna Aptamers ◽  
Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Variant Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Parasite Protein ◽  
African Trypanosomes ◽  
Variable Surface ◽  
New Strategy

ABSTRACT African trypanosomes cause sleeping sickness in humans and Nagana in cattle. The parasites multiply in the blood and escape the immune response of the infected host by antigenic variation. Antigenic variation is characterized by a periodic change of the parasite protein surface, which consists of a variant glycoprotein known as variant surface glycoprotein (VSG). Using a SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) approach, we report the selection of small, serum-stable RNAs, so-called aptamers, that bind to VSGs with subnanomolar affinity. The RNAs are able to recognize different VSG variants and bind to the surface of live trypanosomes. Aptamers tethered to an antigenic side group are capable of directing antibodies to the surface of the parasite in vitro. In this manner, the RNAs might provide a new strategy for a therapeutic intervention to fight sleeping sickness.

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