Duplication and transcription of procyclin genes in Trypanosoma brucei.
The genes encoding procyclin, the major glycoprotein expressed on the surface of procyclic forms of Trypanosoma brucei, comprise a multigene family. It has previously been demonstrated that procyclin genes in cloned trypanosome strains from Kenya and Uganda show restriction fragment polymorphisms. A detailed study of the Kenyan strain 227 has revealed that procyclin genes are arranged in tandem at 3 distinct loci (Pro A, B and C) and that the polymorphism is due to the duplication of 1.3 kb in the Pro A locus, which has generated an additional procyclin gene. Northern blot analysis has shown that at least 2 loci are transcribed and that a minimum of 3 procyclin genes are expressed within a cloned line. The transcription of procyclin genes is resistant to 1 mg ml-1 alpha-amanitin, whereas that of the 5' flanking gene in the Pro A locus is sensitive. This observation suggests that the two genes form part of separate transcription units with a promoter between them.
König
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Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Institut für Genetik und Toxikologie, Karlsruhe, FRG.
Delius
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Carrington
M
M
Williams
R O
RO
Roditi
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I
D000546:Amanitins / Q000494:pharmacology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009692:Nucleic Acid Heteroduplexes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D014346:Trypanosoma brucei brucei / Q000235:genetics*; D014643:Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma / Q000235:genetics*
D000546:Amanitins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D009692:Nucleic Acid Heteroduplexes; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014643:Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma; C053277:procyclic acidic repetitive protein, Trypanosoma