Abstract
Uniquely among eukaryotes, Trypanosoma brucei uses RNA polymerase-I (RNAPI) to transcribe a subset of genes, including VSG. Our understanding of VSG monoallelic gene expression has advanced however little is known regarding trypanosomal rRNA transcriptional regulation. Cellular RNA is dominated by rRNA, and ~10% mRNA encodes for VSG. Prior work in the Alsford and Taylor laboratories has shown that only a subset of rDNA loci are active in bloodstream-form T. brucei, hinting at robust rRNA transcriptional regulation. A combination of high-throughput RNAi library screening and molecular and cell biology approaches will decode the integration of rDNA and VSG RNAPI-mediated transcription.
References
[1] Alsford S, Kawahara T, Glover L, Horn D. (2005) Tagging a Trypanosoma brucei RRNA locus improves stable transfection efficiency and circumvents inducible expression position effects. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 144: 142-8
[2] McLatchie AP, Burrell-Saward H, Myburgh E, Lewis MD, Ward TH, Mottram JC, Croft SL, Kelly JM, Taylor MC. (2014) Highly sensitive in vivo imaging of Trypanosoma brucei expressing “red-shifted” luciferase. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 7: e2571
[3] Lewis MD, Fortes Francisco A, Taylor MC, Burrell-Saward H, McLatchie AP, Miles MA, Kelly JM. (2014) Bioluminescence imaging of chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infections reveals tissue-specific parasite dynamics and heart disease in the absence of locally persistent infection. Cell Microbiol. 16: 1285-300
[4] Glover L, Alsford S, Baker N, Turner DJ, Sanchez-Flores A, Hutchinson S, Hertz-Fowler C, Berriman M, Horn D. (2015) Genome-scale RNAi screens for high-throughput phenotyping in bloodstream-form African trypanosomes. Nat Protoc. 10: 106-33
[5] Glover L, Hutchinson S, Alsford S, Horn D (2016) VEX1 controls the allelic exclusion required for antigenic variation in trypanosomes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 113: 7225-30