Leishmania major chromosome 3 contains two long convergent polycistronic gene clusters separated by a tRNA gene.
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.
Worthey
E A
EA
Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, 4 Nickerson Street, Seattle, WA 98109-1651, USA.
Martinez-Calvillo
Santiago
S
Schnaufer
Achim
A
Aggarwal
Gautam
G
Cawthra
Jason
J
Fazelinia
Gholam
G
Fong
Chris
C
Fu
Guoliang
G
Hassebrock
Melissa
M
Hixson
Greg
G
Ivens
Alasdair C
AC
Kiser
Patti
P
Marsolini
Felicia
F
Rickel
Erika
E
Rickell
Erica
E
Salavati
Reza
R
Sisk
Ellen
E
Sunkin
Susan M
SM
Stuart
Kenneth D
KD
Myler
Peter J
PJ
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
D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D012343:RNA, Transfer