Effects of temperature elevation on mRNA and protein synthesis in Leishmania mexicana amazonensis.
The transition from the promastigote stage to the amastigote stage in Leishmania appears to involve a sequence of steps which enable the parasite to adapt to its new environment. In this study, transformation from the promastigote to an amastigote-like stage was induced by temperature elevation and the effects on protein synthesis and the mRNA population were analyzed. Whereas significant changes in the polypeptide complement of the cell were observed, few, if any, changes were seen at the level of the mRNAs as determined by translation in a cell-free system. Increasing the growth temperature caused a rapid cessation of beta-tubulin synthesis but the abundance and sizes of mRNAs specific for beta-tubulin were unaltered. These data suggest that the regulation of beta-tubulin under these conditions is occurring at the level of translation.
Miller
J S
JS
Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.
D000818:Animals; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007894:Leishmania mexicana / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D012333:RNA, Messenger