amanitins and Chromosome-Deletion

The actin genes of Trypanosoma brucei are transcribed constitutively during the parasite life-cycle, by a polymerase sensitive to alpha-amanitin. The start region of the actin gene transcription unit was mapped by virtue of the accumulation of promoter-proximal transcripts which occurs following moderate UV irradiation. This region, located about 4 kilobases upstream from the genes, was able to direct transient expression of the bacterial Chloramphenicol Acetyl Transferase (CAT) gene in both bloodstream and procyclic forms of the parasite. The essential region of the promoter was defined by deletion, and appeared to be within 600 bp upstream from the putative transcription start site. It does not share significant homology with the other trypanosome promoters described so far (VSG, procyclin, rDNA), which all direct alpha-amanitin resistant transcription.

Topics: Actins; Amanitins; Animals; Base Sequence; Blotting, Northern; Blotting, Southern; Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase; Chromosome Deletion; Cloning, Molecular; DNA Mutational Analysis; Electric Stimulation; Kinetics; Molecular Sequence Data; Plasmids; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Transcription, Genetic; Trypanosoma brucei brucei

Two polyadenylated transcripts of the jockey are detected at different stages of Drosophila melanogaster ontogenesis and in the cell culture. They have the same length as complete and deleted copies of jockey and correspond to the DNA strand containing open reading frames coding for polypeptides which are homologous to retroviral RNA-(DNA)-binding proteins and to their reverse transcriptases. The results of the experiments, where transcription was inhibited with alpha-amanitin in vivo, indicate that jockey is transcribed by RNA polymerase II. The analysis of expression of CAT constructions made on the basis of jockey, and the detection of a fixed site for transcription initiation in jockey genomic and transfected copies have shown that jockey transcription is controlled by an internal promoter located not farther than 12 nucleotides from the beginning of the element. Such an inward location of the promoter allows it to be preserved in replication via reverse transcription and accounts for the distribution of jockey and probably other LINEs throughout the genome. This is the case of the first internal promoter described for RNA polymerase II. The comparison of starting sequences of LINEs in Drosophila makes it possible to detect core sequences of such a promoter.

Topics: Amanitins; Animals; Chromosome Deletion; DNA; DNA Transposable Elements; Drosophila melanogaster; Gene Expression Regulation; Genes; Promoter Regions, Genetic; RNA Polymerase II; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; Transcription, Genetic