scholarly journals Trypanosoma brucei: posttranscriptional control of the variable surface glycoprotein gene expression site.

1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 4018-4021 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Pays ◽  
H Coquelet ◽  
A Pays ◽  
P Tebabi ◽  
M Steinert
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Trypanosoma Brucei ◽  
Transcription Initiation ◽  
Tsetse Fly ◽  
Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Insect Vector ◽  
Variable Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Variable Surface ◽  
Expression Site

The arrest of variable surface glycoprotein (VSG) synthesis is one of the first events accompanying the differentiation of Trypanosoma brucei bloodstream forms into procyclic forms, which are characteristic of the insect vector. This is because of a very fast inhibition of VSG gene transcription which occurs as soon as the temperature is lowered. We report that this effect is probably not controlled at the level of transcription initiation, since the beginning of the VSG gene expression site, about 45 kilobases upstream from the antigen gene, remains transcribed in procyclic forms. The permanent activity of the promoter readily accounts for the systematic reappearance, upon return to the bloodstream form after cyclical transmission, of the antigen type present before passage to the tsetse fly. The abortive transcription of the VSG gene expression site appears linked to RNA processing abnormalities. Such posttranscriptional controls may allow the modulation of gene expression in a genome organized in large multigenic transcription units.

Trypanosoma brucei: posttranscriptional control of the variable surface glycoprotein gene expression site

1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 4018-4021
Author(s):  
E Pays ◽  
H Coquelet ◽  
A Pays ◽  
P Tebabi ◽  
M Steinert
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Trypanosoma Brucei ◽  
Transcription Initiation ◽  
Tsetse Fly ◽  
Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Insect Vector ◽  
Variable Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Variable Surface ◽  
Expression Site

The arrest of variable surface glycoprotein (VSG) synthesis is one of the first events accompanying the differentiation of Trypanosoma brucei bloodstream forms into procyclic forms, which are characteristic of the insect vector. This is because of a very fast inhibition of VSG gene transcription which occurs as soon as the temperature is lowered. We report that this effect is probably not controlled at the level of transcription initiation, since the beginning of the VSG gene expression site, about 45 kilobases upstream from the antigen gene, remains transcribed in procyclic forms. The permanent activity of the promoter readily accounts for the systematic reappearance, upon return to the bloodstream form after cyclical transmission, of the antigen type present before passage to the tsetse fly. The abortive transcription of the VSG gene expression site appears linked to RNA processing abnormalities. Such posttranscriptional controls may allow the modulation of gene expression in a genome organized in large multigenic transcription units.

Trypanosoma brucei: enrichment by UV of intergenic transcripts from the variable surface glycoprotein gene expression site

1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 4022-4025
Author(s):  
H Coquelet ◽  
P Tebabi ◽  
A Pays ◽  
M Steinert ◽  
E Pays
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Trypanosoma Brucei ◽  
Uv Irradiation ◽  
Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Putative Promoter Region ◽  
Variable Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Polycistronic Transcription ◽  
Variable Surface ◽  
Intergenic Regions ◽  
Expression Site

The expression site for the variable surface glycoprotein (VSG) gene AnTat 1.3A of Trypanosoma brucei is 45 kilobases long and encompasses seven expression site-associated genes (ESAGs) (E. Pays, P. Tebabi, A. Pays, H. Coquelet, P. Revelard, D. Salmon, and M. Steinert, Cell 57:835-845, 1989). After UV irradiation, several large transcripts from the putative promoter region were strongly enriched. We report that one such major transcript starts near the poly(A) addition site of the first gene (ESAG 7), spans the intergenic region, and extends to the poly(A) addition site of the second gene (ESAG 6), thus bypassing the normal 3' splice site of the ESAG 6 mRNA. Since this transcript is spliced, we conclude that UV irradiation does not inhibit splicing but stabilizes unstable processing products. This demonstrates that at least some intergenic regions of the VSG gene expression site are continuously transcribed in accordance with a polycistronic transcription model.

scholarly journals Trypanosoma brucei: enrichment by UV of intergenic transcripts from the variable surface glycoprotein gene expression site.

1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 4022-4025 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Coquelet ◽  
P Tebabi ◽  
A Pays ◽  
M Steinert ◽  
E Pays
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Trypanosoma Brucei ◽  
Uv Irradiation ◽  
Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Putative Promoter Region ◽  
Variable Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Polycistronic Transcription ◽  
Variable Surface ◽  
Intergenic Regions ◽  
Expression Site

The expression site for the variable surface glycoprotein (VSG) gene AnTat 1.3A of Trypanosoma brucei is 45 kilobases long and encompasses seven expression site-associated genes (ESAGs) (E. Pays, P. Tebabi, A. Pays, H. Coquelet, P. Revelard, D. Salmon, and M. Steinert, Cell 57:835-845, 1989). After UV irradiation, several large transcripts from the putative promoter region were strongly enriched. We report that one such major transcript starts near the poly(A) addition site of the first gene (ESAG 7), spans the intergenic region, and extends to the poly(A) addition site of the second gene (ESAG 6), thus bypassing the normal 3' splice site of the ESAG 6 mRNA. Since this transcript is spliced, we conclude that UV irradiation does not inhibit splicing but stabilizes unstable processing products. This demonstrates that at least some intergenic regions of the VSG gene expression site are continuously transcribed in accordance with a polycistronic transcription model.

The contribution of chromosomal translocations to antigenic variation in Trypanosoma brucei

1984 ◽  
Vol 307 (1131) ◽  
pp. 13-26 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Trypanosoma Brucei ◽  
Transcription Initiation ◽  
Repeat Unit ◽  
Position Effect ◽  
Genetic Alterations ◽  
Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Genomic Rearrangements ◽  
Surface Coat ◽  
Expression Site

Genomic rearrangements influencing gene expression occur throughout nature. Several of these rearrangements disrupt normal gene expression, as exemplified by the genetic alterations caused by the mobile genetic elements of maize or Drosophila (see Shapiro 1983). Other rearrangements are part of the normal developmental programme of an organism. An understanding of the control of genomic rearrangements and their effects on gene expression should contribute to our insight into the mechanism of genetic programming and cellular development. The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei exhibits a variety of genomic rearrangements that influence the expression of genes that code for versions of the variant surface glycoprotein (v.s.g.), which makes up the cell surface coat. V.s.g. genes are expressed in a mutually exclusive manner. Several v.s.g. genes are activated by duplicative transposition of the gene to a telomeric expression site where they are transcribed, while others can be activated without detectable genomic rearrangements. Recently we have been able to fractionate the chromosomes of T. brucei in agarose gels (Van der Ploeg et al. 1984 a). This led to the observations that duplicative transpositions occur inter-chromosomally and that the chromosomes of T. brucei are subject to frequent recombinations that displace hundreds of kilobase pairs. At least two and possibly more telomeric expression sites can be used for v.s.g. gene transcription. How these sites are activated and inactivated is still unsolved, but this does not depend on recombinations in the vicinity of the gene. Gross genomic rearrangements occur sometimes in correlation with antigenic switching and this suggests that such rearrangements have a function in regulating the mutually exclusive transcription of the different expression sites. V.s.g. genes consist of two exons. No physical linkage of the 35 nucleotide (n.t.) mini-exon to the v.s.g. gene main exon occurred within 15 kilobase pairs in variant 118a and possibly 150 kilobase pairs in variant 1.8b. These mapping data give additional support for the hypothesis that both exons might represent separate transcription units. Transcription initiation of v.s.g. genes would thus be from a promotor other than the mini-exon repeat unit. We propose that transcription of the v.s.g. gene in the expression site can be regulated by a position effect on the gene.

Expression of a retroposon-like sequence upstream of the putative Trypanosoma brucei variant surface glycoprotein gene expression site promoter

1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 7036-7044
Author(s):  
M J Lodes ◽  
B L Smiley ◽  
A W Stadnyk ◽  
J L Bennett ◽  
P J Myler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Trypanosoma Brucei ◽  
Copy Number ◽  
Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Variant Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Putative Promoter ◽  
Glycoprotein Gene ◽  
Active Expression ◽  
Expression Site ◽  
Total Copy Number

We have cloned the region spanning the putative promoter from two variant surface glycoprotein gene expression sites that are at each end of chromosome M4 of Trypanosoma brucei IsTat 7. Both expression sites contain a retroposon-like sequence (ESR) pseudogene whose 3' end is approximately 30 bp upstream of the putative expression site promoter. The ESRs from both expression sites share considerable sequence homology and are related to LINE-like elements, especially the T. brucei ingi retroposon. Other ESRs are located on large, but not intermediate or mini-, chromosomes in the IsTaR 1 serodeme, and the total copy number is 10 to 20, similar to that estimated for variant surface glycoprotein expression sites. No DNA rearrangements in the vicinity of the ESR and putative expression site promoter were detected following antigenic switches in the IsTaR 1 serodeme. ESR transcripts are present in bloodstream, but not procyclic, forms. Variation in transcript size and sequence between bloodstream variant antigenic types implies that only the ESR from the active expression site is transcribed. This pattern of expression reflects that of sequences downstream of the putative expression site promoter, suggesting that the region of coordinately controlled expression extends upstream of this promoter.

scholarly journals Variable Surface Glycoprotein from Trypanosoma brucei Undergoes Cleavage by Matrix Metalloproteinases: An in silico Approach

Pathogens ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 178
Author(s):  
Cláudia Jassica Gonçalves Moreno ◽  
Taffarel Torres ◽  
Marcelo Sousa Silva
Keyword(s):  
Matrix Metalloproteinases ◽  
Trypanosoma Brucei ◽  
Cleavage Site ◽  
Surface Protein ◽  
Matrix Metalloproteases ◽  
Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Mammalian Host ◽  
Variable Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Biological Studies ◽  
Variable Surface

In order to survive as extracellular parasites in the mammalian host environment, Trypanosoma brucei has developed efficient mechanisms of immune system evasion, which include the abundant expression of a variable surface glycoprotein (VSG) coat. VSGs are anchored in the parasite membrane by covalent C-terminal binding to glycosylphosphatidylinositol and may be periodically removed by a phospholipase C (PLC) and a major surface protein (TbMSP). VSG molecules show extraordinary antigenic diversity and a comparative analysis of protein sequences suggests that conserved elements may be a suitable target against African trypanosomiasis. However, the cleavage mechanisms of these molecules remain unclear. Moreover, in protozoan infections, including those caused by Trypanosoma brucei, it is possible to observe an increased expression of the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). To address the cleavage mechanism of VSGs, the PROSPER server was used for the identification of VSG sequence cleavage sites. After data compilation, it was observed that 64 VSG consensus sequences showed a high conservation of hydrophobic residues, such as valine (V), methionine (M), leucine (L) and isoleucine (I) in the fifth position—the exact location of the cleavage site. In addition, the PROSPER server identified conserved cleavage site portions of VSG proteins recognized by three matrix metalloproteases (gelatinases: MMP-2, MMP-3 and MMP-9). However, further biological studies are needed in order to analyze and confirm this prediction.

scholarly journals Expression of a retroposon-like sequence upstream of the putative Trypanosoma brucei variant surface glycoprotein gene expression site promoter.

1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 7036-7044 ◽  
Author(s):  
M J Lodes ◽  
B L Smiley ◽  
A W Stadnyk ◽  
J L Bennett ◽  
P J Myler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Trypanosoma Brucei ◽  
Copy Number ◽  
Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Variant Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Putative Promoter ◽  
Glycoprotein Gene ◽  
Active Expression ◽  
Expression Site ◽  
Total Copy Number

We have cloned the region spanning the putative promoter from two variant surface glycoprotein gene expression sites that are at each end of chromosome M4 of Trypanosoma brucei IsTat 7. Both expression sites contain a retroposon-like sequence (ESR) pseudogene whose 3' end is approximately 30 bp upstream of the putative expression site promoter. The ESRs from both expression sites share considerable sequence homology and are related to LINE-like elements, especially the T. brucei ingi retroposon. Other ESRs are located on large, but not intermediate or mini-, chromosomes in the IsTaR 1 serodeme, and the total copy number is 10 to 20, similar to that estimated for variant surface glycoprotein expression sites. No DNA rearrangements in the vicinity of the ESR and putative expression site promoter were detected following antigenic switches in the IsTaR 1 serodeme. ESR transcripts are present in bloodstream, but not procyclic, forms. Variation in transcript size and sequence between bloodstream variant antigenic types implies that only the ESR from the active expression site is transcribed. This pattern of expression reflects that of sequences downstream of the putative expression site promoter, suggesting that the region of coordinately controlled expression extends upstream of this promoter.

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