title: A single-stranded DNA-binding protein shared by telomeric repeats, the variant surface glycoprotein transcription promoter and the procyclin transcription terminator of Trypanosoma brucei.
abstract: In Trypanosoma brucei the genes are organised into long polycistronic transcription units and only three promoters for protein-encoding genes and a single terminator have been characterised. These promoters recruit a polI-like RNA polymerase for the transcription units encoding the two major stage-specific antigens of the parasite, the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) of the bloodstream form and procyclin of the insect-specific procyclic form, while the terminator is that of a procyclin transcription unit. By deletional and mutational analysis we defined the two DNA sequences essential for the activity of the VSG promoter from a bloodstream form transcription unit and one of the functional elements of the procyclin terminator. These three short sequences are similar, and their C-rich strand binds the same protein of 40 kDa. In addition, this factor also binds to the C-rich strand of the telomeric repeats, the consensus target sequence being 5'-CCCTNN-3'. The factor-binding sequences are functionally interchangeable in chimeric promoter or terminator constructs, although additional elements are required for full activity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Parasitologie Moléculaire, IBMM, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Rue des Professeurs Jeener et Brachet 12, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berberof
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vanhamme
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alexandre
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lips
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tebabi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pays
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D011485:Protein Binding; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D016615:Telomere; D013728:Terminator Regions, Genetic; D014346:Trypanosoma brucei brucei / Q000235:genetics*; D014643:Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D014643:Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma; C053277:procyclic acidic repetitive protein, Trypanosoma