کد مقاله کد نشریه سال انتشار مقاله انگلیسی نسخه تمام متن
5915590 1163313 2012 12 صفحه PDF دانلود رایگان
عنوان انگلیسی مقاله ISI
Mapping of VSG similarities in Trypanosoma brucei
موضوعات مرتبط
علوم زیستی و بیوفناوری بیوشیمی، ژنتیک و زیست شناسی مولکولی زیست شناسی مولکولی
پیش نمایش صفحه اول مقاله
Mapping of VSG similarities in Trypanosoma brucei
چکیده انگلیسی

The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei switches its variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) to subvert its mammalian hosts' immune responses. The T. brucei genome contains as many as 1600 VSG genes (VSGs), but most are silent noncoding pseudogenes. Only one functional VSG, located in a telomere-linked expression site, is transcribed at a time. Silent VSGs are copied into a VSG expression site through gene conversion. Truncated gene conversion events can generate new mosaic VSGs with segments of sequence identity to other VSGs. To examine the VSG family sub-structure within which these events occur, we combined the available VSG sequences and annotations with scripted BLAST searches to map the relationships among VSGs in the T. brucei genome. Clusters of related VSGs were visualized in 2- and 3-dimensions for different N- and C-terminal regions. Five types of N-termini (N1-N5) were observed, within which gene recombinational events are likely to occur, often with fully-coding 'functional' or 'atypical' VSGs centrally located between more dissimilar VSGs. Members of types N1, N3 and N4 are most closely related in the middle of the N-terminal region, whereas type N2 members are more similar near the N-terminus. Some preference occurs in pairing between specific N- and C-terminal types. Statistical analyses indicated no overall tendency for more related VSGs to be located closer in the genome than less related VSGs, although exceptions were noted. Many potential mosaic gene formation events within each N-terminal type were identified, contrasted by only one possible mosaic gene formation between N-terminal types (N1 and N2). These data suggest that mosaic gene formation is a major contributor to the overall VSG diversity, even though gene recombinational events between members of different N-terminal types occur only rarely.

192Highlights► African trypanosome VSGs can be clustered on the basis of their sequence similarities. ► Clustered VSG similarities can be displayed in two- and three-dimensions by video presentation. ► One VSG cluster has more closely related VSG members than do the other clusters. ► Mosaic VSG genes form predominately from donor genes within the same VSG cluster. ► Methods developed in this study can be used to analyze large gene families in other organisms.

ناشر
Database: Elsevier - ScienceDirect (ساینس دایرکت)
Journal: Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology - Volume 181, Issue 2, February 2012, Pages 141-152
نویسندگان
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