Department of Biological Sciences and Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK.
Res Microbiol. 2011 Jul-Aug;162(6):626-36. doi: 10.1016/j.resmic.2011.01.014. Epub 2011 Mar 21.
The nucleus of the human pathogen Trypanosoma brucei not only has unusual chromosomal composition, characterised by the presence of megabase, intermediate and minichromosomes, but also chromosome and gene organisation that is unique amongst eukaryotes. Here I provide an overview of current knowledge of nuclear structure, chromatin organisation and chromosome dynamics during interphase and mitosis. New technologies such as chromatin immunoprecipitation, in combination with new generation sequencing and proteomic analysis of subnuclear fractions, have led to novel insights into the organisation of the nucleus and chromatin. In particular, we are beginning to understand how universal mechanisms of chromatin modifications and nuclear position effects are deployed for parasite-specific functions and are centrally involved in genomic organisation and transcriptional regulation. These advances also have a major impact on progress in understanding the molecular basis of antigenic variation.
人体病原体布氏锥虫的核不仅具有不寻常的染色体组成，其特点是存在兆碱基、中间和微染色体，而且其染色体和基因组织在真核生物中也是独一无二的。在这里，我概述了目前关于间期和有丝分裂过程中核结构、染色质组织和染色体动态的知识。染色质免疫沉淀等新技术与新一代测序和亚核部分的蛋白质组学分析相结合，为细胞核和染色质的组织提供了新的见解。特别是，我们开始了解染色质修饰和核位置效应的普遍机制如何被用于寄生虫特有的功能，并集中参与基因组组织和转录调控。这些进展也对理解抗原变异的分子基础产生了重大影响。
