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Unusual organization of a developmentall ... RNAP gene in Trypanosoma brucei
Unusual organization of a developmentally regulated mitochondrial RNA polymerase TBMTRNAP gene in Trypanosoma brucei
5393
We report here the characterization of a developmentally regulated mitochondrial RNA polymerase transcript in the parasitic protozoan, Trypanosoma brucei. The 3822 bp protein-coding region of the T. brucei mitochondrial RNA polymerase (TBMTRNAP) gene is predicted to encode a 1274 amino acid polypeptide, the carboxyl-terminal domain of which exhibits 29-37% identity with the mitochondrial RNA polymerases from other organisms in the molecular databases. Interestingly, the TBMTRNAP mRNA is one of several mature mRNA species post-transcriptionally processed from a stable, polycistronic precursor. Alternative polyadenylation of the TBMTRNAP mRNA produces two mature transcripts that differ by 500 nt and that show stage-specific differences in abundance during the T. brucei life cycle. This alternative polyadenylation event appears to be accompanied by the alternative splicing of a high abundance, non-coding downstream transcript of unknown function. Our finding that the TBMTRNAP gene is transcribed into two distinct mRNAs subject to differential regulation during the T. brucei life cycle suggests that mitochondrial differentiation might be achieved in part through the regulated expression of this gene.
Gene
2001-07-11 00:00
272
1
209-18
Amino Acid Sequence,Animals,Cloning, Molecular,DNA, Complementary,DNA, Protozoan,DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases,Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental,Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic,Mitochondria,Molecular Sequence Data,RNA, Messenger,Sequence Analysis, DNA,Sequence Homology, Amino Acid,Trypanosoma brucei brucei,DNA, Complementary,DNA, Protozoan,RNA, Messenger,DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
Gene
NIAID AI34155
0378-1119
S0378111901005388
0
False
11470527
