title: Characterization of two different mucolipin-like genes from Leishmania major.
abstract: Here, we report the existence of two different mucolipin-like genes in Leishmania parasites. The Leishmania major mucolipin-like A and B genes (lmmlA and lmmlB) encode two proteins of 776 and 590 amino acids, respectively, and may be classified among the mucolipins family [transient receptors potential mucolipin (TRPML)] because (1) they include a large region that exhibits significant similarities with specific domains of ion transport proteins and transient receptors potential (TRP) channels, (2) they contain at least 173 residues that display significant homologies with conserved regions of different mucolipins from several species, and (3) as TRPMLs, they include six predicted transmembrane domains. Gene expression analysis reveals that lmmlB is upregulated in metacyclics and amastigotes relative to procyclics, while lmmlA is constitutively expressed in the three Leishmania developmental stages. These genes could constitute potential drug targets.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Immunopathologie, Vaccinologie et Génétique Moléculaire, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, 13, Place Pasteur, 1002, Tunis-Belvédère, Tunisia. mehdi.chenik@pasteur.rns.tn
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chenik
authors.forename: Feriel
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Douagi
authors.forename: Yosser
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ben Achour
authors.forename: Noureddine Ben
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Khalef
authors.forename: Meriem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ouakad
authors.forename: Hechmi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Louzir
authors.forename: Koussay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dellagi
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D006801:Humans; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D050053:TRPM Cation Channels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D050053:TRPM Cation Channels