title: Control of antigenic variation in African trypanosomes.
abstract: Antigenic variation of African trypanosomes results from the controlled expression of a single variant cell-surface glycoprotein (VSG) gene from a repertoire of about 1,000 genes. The transcription of the VSG genes occurs uniquely at telomeres, where the expressed VSG gene is part of a large polycistronic transcription unit that appears to be transcribed by a specialized RNA polymerase. Recent developments that enhanced our understanding of the control of VSG gene expression and of the mechanisms of antigenic variation are discussed in this review.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032.
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Van der Ploeg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000940:Antigenic Variation; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D005812:Genes, Switch / Q000235:genetics*; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014347:Trypanosoma brucei gambiense / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014643:Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D014643:Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma