Telomeric Localization of the Modified DNA Base J in the Genome of the Protozoan Parasite Leishmania

Overview

Journal Nucleic Acids Res

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Biochemistry

Date 2007 Mar 3

PMID 17329373

Citations 18

Authors

Paul-Andre Genest

Bas Ter Riet

Tony Cijsouw

Henri G A M van Luenen

Piet Borst

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Base J or beta-d-glucosylhydroxymethyluracil is a DNA modification replacing a fraction of thymine in the nuclear DNA of kinetoplastid parasites and of Euglena. J is located in the telomeric sequences of Trypanosoma brucei and in other simple repeat DNA sequences. In addition, J was found in the inactive variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) expression sites, but not in the active expression site of T. brucei, suggesting that J could play a role in transcription silencing in T. brucei. We have now looked at the distribution of J in the genomes of other kinetoplastid parasites. First, we analyzed the DNA sequences immunoprecipitated with a J-antiserum in Leishmania major Friedlin. Second, we investigated the co-migration of J- and telomeric repeat-containing DNA sequences of various kinetoplastids using J-immunoblots and Southern blots of fragmented DNA. We find only approximately 1% of J outside the telomeric repeat sequences of Leishmania sp. and Crithidia fasciculata, in contrast to the substantial fraction of non-telomeric J found in T. brucei, Trypanosoma equiperdum and Trypanoplasma borreli. Our results suggest that J is a telomeric base modification, recruited for other (unknown) functions in some kinetoplastids and Euglena.

Citing Articles

Distant sequence regions of JBP1 contribute to J-DNA binding.

de Vries I, Ammerlaan D, Heidebrecht T, Celie P, Geerke D, Joosten R Life Sci Alliance. 2023; 6(9).

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G-Quadruplexes as Key Transcriptional Regulators in Neglected Trypanosomatid Parasites.

Monti L, Di Antonio M Chembiochem. 2023; 24(12):e202300265.

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Behind Base J: The Roles of JBP1 and JBP2 on Trypanosomatids.

Assis L, de Paiva S, Cano M Pathogens. 2023; 12(3).

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Genetic Interaction Between Site-Specific Epigenetic Marks and Roles of H4v in Transcription Termination in .

Kim H Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021; 9:744878.

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Diverse telomeres in trypanosomatids.

Polakova E, Zahonova K, Albanaz A, Butenko A, Lukes J, Yurchenko V Parasitology. 2021; 148(10):1254-1270.

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