Small nucleolar RNA interference induced by antisense or double-stranded RNA in trypanosomatids.

ABSTRACT: In trypanosomes the C/D- and H/ACA-like small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are clustered and repeated in the genome. The snoRNAs studied to date are transcribed as polycistronic transcripts by RNA polymerase II and then processed, resulting in mature snoRNAs. In this study we demonstrated that snoRNA genes can be silenced in three trypanosomatid species: Leptomonas collosoma, Leishmania major, and Trypanosoma brucei. Silencing was achieved in L. collosoma and L. major by the expressing of an antisense transcript complementary to the snoRNA gene and was accompanied by the accumulation of small interfering RNA. Silencing eliminated the mature snoRNA but not its precursor and abolished the specific 2'-O-methylation guided by the snoRNA. In T. brucei, silencing was achieved by using the inducible

SUBMITTER: Liang XH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC164619 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature