Biomaterial Database

Characterization of the spliced leader genes and transcripts in Trypanosoma cruzi. 1989

C McCarthy-Burke, and Z A Taylor, and G A Buck

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298.

Trypanosome mRNA is processed to maturity in a novel trans-splicing reaction during which a 35-nucleotide (nt) spliced leader (SL) is joined to the 5' ends of most structural gene transcripts. We have examined this process in Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas' disease in Central and South America. In this communication, we characterize the genes encoding the SL (SL gene) in five different strains of T. cruzi by hybridization analysis and show that the genome of each of these strains contains numerous tandemly repeated copies of the SL gene. We demonstrate that the SL genes show remarkable intrastrain homogeneity, but significant interstrain heterogeneity. We have cloned and sequenced one of the SL repeats from T. cruzi strain CL and used synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotides designed to hybridize to SL gene transcripts in Northern analyses of T. cruzi RNA to identify an approx. 110-nt putative SL primary transcript (SL-RNA). The 5' end of the SL-RNA was mapped to the first nt of the SL by primer extension analyses. The sequence of the 110-nt SL-RNA was used to generate a predicted secondary structure, and this structure compared favorably to the predicted secondary structures of SL transcripts of other trypanosomatids.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008969	Molecular Sequence Data	Descriptions of specific amino acid, carbohydrate, or nucleotide sequences which have appeared in the published literature and/or are deposited in and maintained by databanks such as GENBANK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF), or other sequence repositories.	Sequence Data, Molecular,Molecular Sequencing Data,Data, Molecular Sequence,Data, Molecular Sequencing,Sequencing Data, Molecular
D009690	Nucleic Acid Conformation	The spatial arrangement of the atoms of a nucleic acid or polynucleotide that results in its characteristic 3-dimensional shape.	DNA Conformation,RNA Conformation,Conformation, DNA,Conformation, Nucleic Acid,Conformation, RNA,Conformations, DNA,Conformations, Nucleic Acid,Conformations, RNA,DNA Conformations,Nucleic Acid Conformations,RNA Conformations
D012091	Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid	Sequences of DNA or RNA that occur in multiple copies. There are several types: INTERSPERSED REPETITIVE SEQUENCES are copies of transposable elements (DNA TRANSPOSABLE ELEMENTS or RETROELEMENTS) dispersed throughout the genome. TERMINAL REPEAT SEQUENCES flank both ends of another sequence, for example, the long terminal repeats (LTRs) on RETROVIRUSES. Variations may be direct repeats, those occurring in the same direction, or inverted repeats, those opposite to each other in direction. TANDEM REPEAT SEQUENCES are copies which lie adjacent to each other, direct or inverted (INVERTED REPEAT SEQUENCES).	DNA Repetitious Region,Direct Repeat,Genes, Selfish,Nucleic Acid Repetitive Sequences,Repetitive Region,Selfish DNA,Selfish Genes,DNA, Selfish,Repetitious Region, DNA,Repetitive Sequence,DNA Repetitious Regions,DNAs, Selfish,Direct Repeats,Gene, Selfish,Repeat, Direct,Repeats, Direct,Repetitious Regions, DNA,Repetitive Regions,Repetitive Sequences,Selfish DNAs,Selfish Gene
D002107	Caenorhabditis	A genus of small free-living nematodes. Two species, CAENORHABDITIS ELEGANS and C. briggsae are much used in studies of genetics, development, aging, muscle chemistry, and neuroanatomy.	Caenorhabditides
D005796	Genes	A category of nucleic acid sequences that function as units of heredity and which code for the basic instructions for the development, reproduction, and maintenance of organisms.	Cistron,Gene,Genetic Materials,Cistrons,Genetic Material,Material, Genetic,Materials, Genetic
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001483	Base Sequence	The sequence of PURINES and PYRIMIDINES in nucleic acids and polynucleotides. It is also called nucleotide sequence.	DNA Sequence,Nucleotide Sequence,RNA Sequence,DNA Sequences,Base Sequences,Nucleotide Sequences,RNA Sequences,Sequence, Base,Sequence, DNA,Sequence, Nucleotide,Sequence, RNA,Sequences, Base,Sequences, DNA,Sequences, Nucleotide,Sequences, RNA
D012326	RNA Splicing	The ultimate exclusion of nonsense sequences or intervening sequences (introns) before the final RNA transcript is sent to the cytoplasm.	RNA, Messenger, Splicing,Splicing, RNA,RNA Splicings,Splicings, RNA
D012333	RNA, Messenger	RNA sequences that serve as templates for protein synthesis. Bacterial mRNAs are generally primary transcripts in that they do not require post-transcriptional processing. Eukaryotic mRNA is synthesized in the nucleus and must be exported to the cytoplasm for translation. Most eukaryotic mRNAs have a sequence of polyadenylic acid at the 3' end, referred to as the poly(A) tail. The function of this tail is not known for certain, but it may play a role in the export of mature mRNA from the nucleus as well as in helping stabilize some mRNA molecules by retarding their degradation in the cytoplasm.	Messenger RNA,Messenger RNA, Polyadenylated,Poly(A) Tail,Poly(A)+ RNA,Poly(A)+ mRNA,RNA, Messenger, Polyadenylated,RNA, Polyadenylated,mRNA,mRNA, Non-Polyadenylated,mRNA, Polyadenylated,Non-Polyadenylated mRNA,Poly(A) RNA,Polyadenylated mRNA,Non Polyadenylated mRNA,Polyadenylated Messenger RNA,Polyadenylated RNA,RNA, Polyadenylated Messenger,mRNA, Non Polyadenylated
D012689	Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid	The sequential correspondence of nucleotides in one nucleic acid molecule with those of another nucleic acid molecule. Sequence homology is an indication of the genetic relatedness of different organisms and gene function.	Base Sequence Homology,Homologous Sequences, Nucleic Acid,Homologs, Nucleic Acid Sequence,Homology, Base Sequence,Homology, Nucleic Acid Sequence,Nucleic Acid Sequence Homologs,Nucleic Acid Sequence Homology,Sequence Homology, Base,Base Sequence Homologies,Homologies, Base Sequence,Sequence Homologies, Base