Comprehensive analysis of the Kinetoplastea intron landscape reveals a novel intron-containing gene and the first exclusively trans-splicing eukaryote.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In trypanosomatids, a group of unicellular eukaryotes that includes numerous important human parasites, cis-splicing has been previously reported for only two genes: a poly(A) polymerase and an RNA helicase. Conversely, trans-splicing, which involves the attachment of a spliced leader sequence, is observed for nearly every protein-coding transcript. So far, our understanding of splicing in this protistan group has stemmed from the analysis of only a few medically relevant species. In this study, we used an extensive dataset encompassing all described trypanosomatid genera to investigate the distribution of intron-containing genes and the evolution of splice sites.

Results

We identified a new conserved intron-containing gene encoding an RNA-binding protein that is

SUBMITTER: Kostygov AY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11613528 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature