Isolation of alpha-tubulin genes from the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum: sequence analysis of alpha-tubulin.
As a step towards identifying exploitable differences between host and parasite at the molecular level, we have isolated and sequenced genomic clones encompassing an entire alpha-tubulin gene (designated alpha-tubulin I) from the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. The gene, which contains two introns, encodes a product with a predicted length of 453 amino acid residues (50.3 kD). The protein sequence shows a high degree of homology to other alpha-tubulins, particularly that of the coccidian parasite, Toxoplasma gondii (94%), whose gene carries introns in identical positions. Only one copy of the alpha-tubulin I gene itself was found, although a second gene designated alpha-II was also identified which is closely related but which differs at both the nucleotide and amino acid sequence levels. The alpha-I and beta-tubulin genes were found to reside on different chromosomes.
Holloway
S P
SP
Department of Biochemistry and Applied Molecular Biology, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, UK.
Sims
P F
PF
Delves
C J
CJ
Scaife
J G
JG
Hyde
J E
JE
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003062:Codon; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005796:Genes; D007438:Introns; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics*; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014404:Tubulin / Q000235:genetics*
D003062:Codon; D014404:Tubulin; D004247:DNA