title: Specific binding of proteins to the noncoding strand of a crucial element of the variant surface glycoprotein, procyclin, and ribosomal promoters of trypanosoma brucei.
abstract: The variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) and procyclin promoters of Trypanosoma brucei recruit an RNA polymerase sharing characteristic with polymerase I, but there is no sequence homology between them nor between these promoters and ribosomal promoters. We report the detailed characterization of the VSG promoter. The 70-bp region upstream of the transcription start site was sufficient for full promoter activity. Mutational analysis revealed three short critical stretches at positions -61 to -59 (box 1), -38 to -35 (box 2), and -1 to +1 (start site), the spacing of which was essential. These elements were conserved in the promoter for a metacyclic VSG gene. Hybrid sequences containing box 1 of the VSG promoter and box 2 of the ribosomal promoter were active. A specific binding of proteins to the noncoding strand of box 2, but not to double-stranded DNA, occurred. Competition experiments indicated that these proteins also bind to the corresponding region of the metacyclic VSG, procyclin, and ribosomal promoters. Binding of such a protein, of 40 kDa, appeared to be shared by these promoters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, University of Brussels, Rhode Saint Genèse, Belgium.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vanhamme
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pays
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tebabi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alexandre
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pays
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D014346:Trypanosoma brucei brucei / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D014643:Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D014643:Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma; C053277:procyclic acidic repetitive protein, Trypanosoma