title: Leishmania major chromosome 3 contains two long convergent polycistronic gene clusters separated by a tRNA gene.
abstract: Leishmania parasites (order Kinetoplastida, family Trypanosomatidae) cause a spectrum of human diseases ranging from asymptomatic to lethal. The approximately 33.6 Mb genome is distributed among 36 chromosome pairs that range in size from approximately 0.3 to 2.8 Mb. The complete nucleotide sequence of Leishmania major Friedlin chromosome 1 revealed 79 protein-coding genes organized into two divergent polycistronic gene clusters with the mRNAs transcribed towards the telomeres. We report here the complete nucleotide sequence of chromosome 3 (384 518 bp) and an analysis revealing 95 putative protein-coding ORFs. The ORFs are primarily organized into two large convergent polycistronic gene clusters (i.e. transcribed from the telomeres). In addition, a single gene at the left end is transcribed divergently towards the telomere, and a tRNA gene separates the two convergent gene clusters. Numerous genes have been identified, including those for metabolic enzymes, kinases, transporters, ribosomal proteins, spliceosome components, helicases, an RNA-binding protein and a DNA primase subunit.
authors.affiliation: Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, 4 Nickerson Street, Seattle, WA 98109-1651, USA.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Worthey
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martinez-Calvillo
authors.forename: Achim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schnaufer
authors.forename: Gautam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cawthra
authors.forename: Gholam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fazelinia
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fong
authors.forename: Guoliang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hassebrock
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hixson
authors.forename: Alasdair C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Ivens
authors.forename: Patti
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kiser
authors.forename: Felicia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marsolini
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rickel
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rickell
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salavati
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sisk
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sunkin
authors.forename: Kenneth D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Stuart
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Myler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D017125:Genes, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics*; D018503:Genome, Protozoan; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000235:genetics*; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D012343:RNA, Transfer