title: Trypanosoma cruzi: analysis of the complete PUF RNA-binding protein family.
abstract: The members of the PUF family of RNA-binding proteins regulate the fate of mRNAs by binding to their 3'UTR sequence elements in eukaryotes. In trypanosomes, for which gene expression is polycistronic and controlled almost exclusively by post-transcriptional processes, PUF proteins could play a crucial role. We report here the complete analysis of the PUF protein family of Trypanosoma cruzi composed of 10 members. In silico analysis predicts the existence of at least three major groups within the T. cruzi family, based on their putative binding specificity. Using yeast three hybrid assays, we tested some of these predictions for TcPUF1, TcPUF3, TcPUF5, and TcPUF8 as representatives of these groups. Data mining of the T. cruzi genome led us to describe putative binding targets for the TcPUFs of the most conserved group, TcPUF1 and TcPUF2. The targets include genes for mitochondrial proteins and protein kinases. Finally, immunolocalization experiments showed that TcPUF1 is localized in multiple discrete foci in the cytoplasm supporting its proposed function.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de la Enfermedad de Chagas--INGEBI--CONICET, Departamento de Fisiología y Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caro
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bercovich
authors.forename: Catalina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Atorrasagasti
authors.forename: Mariano J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: Martín P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Vázquez
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020449:Repetitive Sequences, Amino Acid; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins