title: TbFlabarin, a flagellar protein of Trypanosoma brucei, highlights differences between Leishmania and Trypanosoma flagellar-targeting signals.
abstract: TbFlabarin is the Trypanosoma brucei orthologue of the Leishmania flagellar protein LdFlabarin but its sequence is 33% shorter than LdFlabarin, as it lacks a C-terminal domain that is indispensable for LdFlabarin to localize to the Leishmania flagellum. TbFlabarin is mainly expressed in the procyclic forms of the parasite and localized to the flagellum, but only when two palmitoylable cysteines at positions 3 and 4 are present. TbFlabarin is more strongly attached to the membrane fraction than its Leishmania counterpart, as it resists complete solubilization with as much as 0.5% NP-40. Expression ablation by RNA interference did not change parasite growth in culture, its morphology or apparent motility. Heterologous expression showed that neither TbFlabarin in L. amazonensis nor LdFlabarin in T. brucei localized to the flagellum, revealing non-cross-reacting targeting signals between the two species.
authors.affiliation: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Biochimie et Génétique Cellulaires, UMR 5095, 1 rue Camille Saint-Saëns, F-33077 Bordeaux, France; Université de Bordeaux, Institut de Biochimie et Génétique Cellulaires, UMR 5095, 146 rue Léo Saignat, F-33076 Bordeaux, France. Electronic address: tetaud@ibgc.cnrs.fr.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tetaud
authors.affiliation: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, UMR 5290, 39 Avenue Charles Flahault, F-34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France; Université de Montpellier, 163 rue Auguste Broussonnet, F-34090 Montpellier, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire La Colombière, 39 Avenue Charles Flahault, F-34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France; MIVEGEC, Unité 224, Institut de Recherches pour le Développement, 911 avenue Agropolis, BP64501, F-34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Michèle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lefebvre
authors.affiliation: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, UMR 5290, 39 Avenue Charles Flahault, F-34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France; Université de Montpellier, 163 rue Auguste Broussonnet, F-34090 Montpellier, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire La Colombière, 39 Avenue Charles Flahault, F-34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France; MIVEGEC, Unité 224, Institut de Recherches pour le Développement, 911 avenue Agropolis, BP64501, F-34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Diane-Ethna
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: M'Bang-Benet
authors.affiliation: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, UMR 5290, 39 Avenue Charles Flahault, F-34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France; Université de Montpellier, 163 rue Auguste Broussonnet, F-34090 Montpellier, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire La Colombière, 39 Avenue Charles Flahault, F-34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France; MIVEGEC, Unité 224, Institut de Recherches pour le Développement, 911 avenue Agropolis, BP64501, F-34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Lucien
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Crobu
authors.affiliation: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Biochimie et Génétique Cellulaires, UMR 5095, 1 rue Camille Saint-Saëns, F-33077 Bordeaux, France; Université de Bordeaux, Institut de Biochimie et Génétique Cellulaires, UMR 5095, 146 rue Léo Saignat, F-33076 Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blancard
authors.affiliation: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, UMR 5290, 39 Avenue Charles Flahault, F-34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France; Université de Montpellier, 163 rue Auguste Broussonnet, F-34090 Montpellier, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire La Colombière, 39 Avenue Charles Flahault, F-34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France; MIVEGEC, Unité 224, Institut de Recherches pour le Développement, 911 avenue Agropolis, BP64501, F-34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Yvon
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sterkers
authors.affiliation: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, UMR 5290, 39 Avenue Charles Flahault, F-34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France; Université de Montpellier, 163 rue Auguste Broussonnet, F-34090 Montpellier, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire La Colombière, 39 Avenue Charles Flahault, F-34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France; MIVEGEC, Unité 224, Institut de Recherches pour le Développement, 911 avenue Agropolis, BP64501, F-34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pages
authors.affiliation: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, UMR 5290, 39 Avenue Charles Flahault, F-34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France; Université de Montpellier, 163 rue Auguste Broussonnet, F-34090 Montpellier, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire La Colombière, 39 Avenue Charles Flahault, F-34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France; MIVEGEC, Unité 224, Institut de Recherches pour le Développement, 911 avenue Agropolis, BP64501, F-34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bastien
authors.affiliation: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, UMR 5290, 39 Avenue Charles Flahault, F-34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France; Université de Montpellier, 163 rue Auguste Broussonnet, F-34090 Montpellier, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire La Colombière, 39 Avenue Charles Flahault, F-34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France; MIVEGEC, Unité 224, Institut de Recherches pour le Développement, 911 avenue Agropolis, BP64501, F-34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, Montpellier, France. Electronic address: gmerlin@univ-montp1.fr.
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Merlin
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018274:Electroporation; D005407:Flagella / Q000737:chemistry*; D005408:Flagellin / Q000737:chemistry; D007891:Leishmania / Q000737:chemistry; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D034622:RNA Interference; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014346:Trypanosoma brucei brucei / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D016053:RNA, Protozoan; D005408:Flagellin
keywords: Flabarin; Flagellum; Leishmania; Targeting signals; Trypanosoma