title: The gamma-tubulin gene of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.
abstract: By screening of cDNA and genomic libraries of Plasmodium falciparum with a DNA probe derived from the cognate beta-tubulin gene, gene Pf gamma tub has been identified that codes for gamma-tubulin, a newly discovered member of the tubulin superfamily that is indispensible for nuclear division and microtubule assembly [12]. Gene Pf gamma tub is not interrupted by introns and only present as a single-copy in the parasite genome. Its encoded amino acid sequence (452 amino acids; M(r) 50,560) has a 63% similarity to the gamma-tubulins encoded by Aspergillus nidulans, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Drosophila melanogaster, Xenopus laevis and Homo sapiens. This figure is significantly (approx. 8%) lower than the average identity between the gamma-tubulins of the latter five species suggesting that during evolution the genes have been exposed to different selection pressures. The identity of gamma-tubulin to the Plasmodium falciparum encoded alpha- and beta-tubulins is 30 and 33%, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maessen
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Wesseling
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Smits
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Konings
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Schoenmakers
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics*; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013045:Species Specificity; D014404:Tubulin / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D014404:Tubulin