DNA rearrangements and antigenic variation in Trypanosoma equiperdum: expression-independent DNA rearrangements in the basic copy of a variant surface glycoprotein gene.
Antigenic variation in Trypanosoma equiperdum is associated with the sequential expression of variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) genes in a process which involves gene duplication and transposition events. In this paper we present evidence that the genomic environment of the VSG-1 basic copy gene, the template for duplicated, expression-linked VSG-1 genes, differs in every trypanosome clone examined. This variation is thus independent of the expression of the VSG-1 gene, and it also appears to be restricted to the 3' genomic environment. It is also demonstrated that the DNA located 3' to the VSG-1 basic copy gene is moderately sensitive to digestion when the nuclei of either expressor or non-expressor trypanosomes are treated with DNase I.
D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D015245:Deoxyribonuclease BamHI; D015246:Deoxyribonuclease EcoRI; D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I; D004706:Endodeoxyribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D014345:Trypanosoma / Q000235:genetics*; D014643:Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma
D006023:Glycoproteins; D014643:Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma; D004247:DNA; D004706:Endodeoxyribonucleases; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D015245:Deoxyribonuclease BamHI; D015246:Deoxyribonuclease EcoRI; D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I