The spliced leader sequence of Trypanosoma brucei has a potential role as a cap donor structure.
Trypanosoma brucei brucei and other trypanosomatid species are unique among eucaryotes because transcription of their protein-coding genes is discontinuous. The 5' ends of their mRNAs consist of an identical 35-nucleotide spliced leader which is encoded at a separate locus from that for the body of the protein-coding transcript. We show here that the spliced leader transcript contains a 5' cap structure and suggest that at least one function of the spliced leader sequence is to provide a cap structure to trypanosome mRNAs.
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D012315:RNA Caps; D012326:RNA Splicing; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014346:Trypanosoma brucei brucei / Q000235:genetics*
D012315:RNA Caps; D012333:RNA, Messenger