A gene from the VSG expression site of Trypanosoma brucei encodes a protein with both leucine-rich repeats and a putative zinc finger.
The transcription unit of the gene for the variant specific glycoprotein (VSG) AnTat 1.3A of Trypanosoma brucei contains several associated genes (ESAGs, for Expression Site-Associated Genes), 7 of which have already been described. We report here the characterization of a further ESAG, which we term ESAG 8, present 1 kb downstream from the putative adenylate cyclase gene ESAG 4. ESAG 8 encodes a 70 kd protein whose sequence indicates that it is probably not exposed at the cell surface. With the exception of the N-terminal domain which contains a presumptive DNA-binding zinc finger, the ESAG 8 protein consists exclusively of leucine-rich repeats of 23 amino acids, typical of protein-interacting domains such as the RAS-interacting region of the yeast adenylate cyclase. ESAG 8 transcripts are only found in bloodstream forms, and their level is particularly low, suggesting a high rate of degradation. The ESAG 8 protein may be involved in stage-specific regulatory processes, such as gene expression control or adenylate cyclase activation.
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Department of Molecular Biology, University of Brussels, Rhode Saint Genèse, Belgium.
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D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics*; D005796:Genes; D007930:Leucine; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014346:Trypanosoma brucei brucei / Q000235:genetics*; D014643:Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma / Q000235:genetics*; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000235:genetics*
D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D014643:Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma; C066671:ESAG 8 protein, Trypanosoma brucei; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases; D007930:Leucine