Variant Surface Glycoprotein expression in the Trypanosoma vivax genome C4PR_LIV

ABSTRACT: Trypanosoma vivax causes animal trypanosomiasis across Africa and South America. An accurate genome sequence is essential to functional genetics and the design of novel diagnostics, drugs and vaccines. Our aim is to improve the existing T. vivax Y486 reference genome assembly to understand the basis for variant antigen expression, which could not be determined previously. We present a new core genome assembly in which many chromosomes are complete and articulated with sub-telomeres. As with T. brucei, T. vivax Variant Surface Glycoprotein (VSG) genes are arranged in sub-telomeric arrays, but that these are near-perfect repeats of intact genes, (unlike T. brucei), and we find no evidence for a VSG expression site at the telomeres or elsewhere. Proteomic analysis of VSG expression in vivo identified multiple VSG expressed by T. vivax Y486 in mouse. VSG peptides did not map to telomeric loci and most arrays were not expressed, consistent with widespread allelic exclusion. Within active arrays, proteomic results indicate that multiple VSG isoforms are expressed simultaneously.

INSTRUMENT(S):

ORGANISM(S): Trypanosoma Vivax (strain Y486)

SUBMITTER: Philip Brownridge  

LAB HEAD: Dr Andrew Jackson

PROVIDER: PXD075690 | Pride | 2026-10-15

REPOSITORIES: Pride