Leishmania: overexpression and comparative structural analysis of the stage-regulated meta 1 gene.
The meta 1 gene of Leishmania major is upregulated in metacyclic promastigotes and encodes an 11.5-kDa protein with no significant similarities to other proteins in the existing databases. In this paper, we characterize the homologous meta 1 genes in L. amazonensis and L. donovani. Proteins encoded by this gene in all three species present a high degree of identity. The meta 1 gene cannot be replaced by gene targeting in L. major, suggesting an essential role for the protein, at least in promastigotes. Overexpression of the meta 1 protein in L. amazonensis generates parasites that are more virulent than wild-type organisms in vivo.
Department of Biochemistry, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
S R
SR
Uliana
N
N
Goyal
E
E
Freymüller
D F
DF
Smith
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D007894:Leishmania mexicana / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016296:Mutagenesis; D010641:Phenotype; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014162:Transfection; D014774:Virulence
D016054:DNA, Protozoan; C100528:Meta1 protein, Leishmania major; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D016053:RNA, Protozoan