Comparative genomics of trypanosomatid parasitic protozoa.
A comparison of gene content and genome architecture of Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi, and Leishmania major, three related pathogens with different life cycles and disease pathology, revealed a conserved core proteome of about 6200 genes in large syntenic polycistronic gene clusters. Many species-specific genes, especially large surface antigen families, occur at nonsyntenic chromosome-internal and subtelomeric regions. Retroelements, structural RNAs, and gene family expansion are often associated with syntenic discontinuities that-along with gene divergence, acquisition and loss, and rearrangement within the syntenic regions-have shaped the genomes of each parasite. Contrary to recent reports, our analyses reveal no evidence that these species are descended from an ancestor that contained a photosynthetic endosymbiont.
El-Sayed
Najib M
NM
Institute for Genomic Research, 9712 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD 20850, USA. nelsayed@tigr.org
Myler
Peter J
PJ
Blandin
Gaëlle
G
Berriman
Matthew
M
Crabtree
Jonathan
J
Aggarwal
Gautam
G
Caler
Elisabet
E
Renauld
Hubert
H
Worthey
Elizabeth A
EA
Hertz-Fowler
Christiane
C
Ghedin
Elodie
E
Peacock
Christopher
C
Bartholomeu
Daniella C
DC
Haas
Brian J
BJ
Tran
Anh-Nhi
AN
Wortman
Jennifer R
JR
Alsmark
U Cecilia M
UC
Angiuoli
Samuel
S
Anupama
Atashi
A
Badger
Jonathan
J
Bringaud
Frederic
F
Cadag
Eithon
E
Carlton
Jane M
JM
Cerqueira
Gustavo C
GC
Creasy
Todd
T
Delcher
Arthur L
AL
Djikeng
Appolinaire
A
Embley
T Martin
TM
Hauser
Christopher
C
Ivens
Alasdair C
AC
Kummerfeld
Sarah K
SK
Pereira-Leal
Jose B
JB
Nilsson
Daniel
D
Peterson
Jeremy
J
Salzberg
Steven L
SL
Shallom
Joshua
J
Silva
Joana C
JC
Sundaram
Jaideep
J
Westenberger
Scott
S
White
Owen
O
Melville
Sara E
SE
Donelson
John E
JE
Andersson
Björn
B
Stuart
Kenneth D
KD
Hall
Neil
N
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D018503:Genome, Protozoan; D023281:Genomics; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D009154:Mutation; D010802:Phylogeny; D018087:Plastids / Q000235:genetics; D020543:Proteome; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D018626:Retroelements; D013045:Species Specificity; D013559:Symbiosis; D026801:Synteny; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics; D014346:Trypanosoma brucei brucei / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D020543:Proteome; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D018626:Retroelements