Trypanosoma brucei TIF2 suppresses VSG switching by maintaining subtelomere integrity.

ABSTRACT: Subtelomeres consist of sequences adjacent to telomeres and contain genes involved in important cellular functions, as subtelomere instability is associated with several human diseases. Balancing between subtelomere stability and plasticity is particularly important for Trypanosoma brucei, a protozoan parasite that causes human African trypanosomiasis. T. brucei regularly switches its major variant surface antigen, variant surface glycoprotein (VSG), to evade the host immune response, and VSGs are expressed exclusively from subtelomeres in a strictly monoallelic fashion. Telomere proteins are important for protecting chromosome ends from illegitimate DNA processes. However, whether they contribute to subtelomere integrity and stability has not been well studied. We have identified a novel

SUBMITTER: Jehi SE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4085761 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature