Molecular characterization of a human BRCA2 homolog in Leishmania donovani.
The breast cancer susceptibility protein BRCA2 is implicated in the DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair pathway through its association with Rad51. It is almost a ubiquitous eukaryotic protein; homologs of the BRCA2 gene (BRH2) have been identified in many mammals, as well as nonmammals. As a part of our quest to understand the DNA damage, repair, and recombination process in the parasitic protozoan, Leishmania sp., we have cloned and characterized a BRCA2 homolog from Leishmania sp. (LBRH2). LBRH2 is coded by a single-copy gene (ORF = 3,498 bp) located at the 700-kb chromosome 16. The transcripts in both the promastigotes and the amastigotes are approximately 3.9 kilonucleotides (knt) in size, corresponding to a protein with a calculated molecular mass of 128 kDa. The primary transcript of the gene is alternatively trans-spliced to produce 3 distinct mRNAs with altered folded structures at their 5' ends. This study will contribute toward the understanding of a potential RAD51-mediated DNA recombination/repair pathway in Leishmania sp.
Division of Microbial Pathogenesis & Immune Response, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee 37208, USA.
Smita
S
Misra
Mack
M
Hall
Gautam
G
Chaudhuri
D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D024682:BRCA2 Protein / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000235:genetics*; D003720:Densitometry; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000737:chemistry; D051135:Rad51 Recombinase / Q000235:genetics; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D020040:Trans-Splicing; D020506:Untranslated Regions / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
D024682:BRCA2 Protein; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D020506:Untranslated Regions; D051135:Rad51 Recombinase