Glucosylated hydroxymethyluracil (DNA base J) prevents transcriptional read-through in Leishmania

ABSTRACT: Some T's in nuclear DNA of trypanosomes and Leishmania are hydroxylated and glucosylated to yield base J (?-D-glucosyl-hydroxymethyluracil). In Leishmania about 99% of J is located in telomeric repeats. We show here that most of the remaining J is located at chromosome-internal RNA Polymerase II termination sites. Both this internal J and telomeric J can be reduced by a knockout of J-binding protein 2 (JBP2), an enzyme involved in the first step of J biosynthesis. J levels are further reduced by growing Leishmania JBP2 knockout cells in BrdU-containing medium, resulting in cell death. The loss of internal J is accompanied by massive read-through at RNA Polymerase II termination sites. The degree of read-through varies between transcription units, but may extend over 100 kb. We conclude tha

ORGANISM(S): Leishmania major

SUBMITTER: Gowthaman Ramasamy 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-32976 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress