Dynamic colocalization of 2 simultaneously active VSG expression sites within a single expression-site body in Trypanosoma brucei.

ABSTRACT: Monoallelic exclusion ensures that the African trypanosome Trypanosoma brucei exclusively expresses only 1 of thousands of different variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) coat genes. The active VSG is transcribed from 1 of 15 polycistronic bloodstream-form VSG expression sites (ESs), which are controlled in a mutually exclusive fashion. Unusually, T. brucei uses RNA polymerase I (Pol I) to transcribe the active ES, which is unprecedented among eukaryotes. This active ES is located within a unique extranucleolar Pol I body called the expression-site body (ESB). A stringent restriction mechanism prevents T. brucei from expressing multiple ESs at the same time, although how this is mediated is unclear. By using drug-selection pressure, we generated VSG double-expresse

SUBMITTER: Budzak J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6697882 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature