Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2013;8(1):e54039. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054039. Epub 2013 Jan 10.
One striking feature of the biology of trypanosomes is the changes in mitochondrial structure and function that occur as these parasites transition from one life cycle stage to another. Our laboratory has been interested in the role the mitochondrial ATP synthase plays in mitochondrial changes through the life cycle. Analysis of the recently completed T. brucei genome suggested that there may be multiple putative genes encoding ATP synthase subunit c. While homologous in their 3' ends, these genes differ in their 5' ends and, if expressed, would result in three distinct proteins. Our analysis showed that all three of the possible transcripts were detected in both procyclic and bloodstream stages, although the c-3 transcript was less abundant than that for c-1 or c-2. The three isoforms of subunit c are produced in both the bloodstream and procyclic stages and their mature protein products possess distinct N-terminal regions of the protein as found within mitochondria. All three isoforms are also incorporated into the assembled ATP synthase complex from procyclic cells. Although multiple subunit c genes have been found in other organisms, they produce identical polypeptides and the finding of significant differences in the mature proteins is unique to T. brucei.
锥虫生物学的一个显著特征是，当这些寄生虫从一个生命周期阶段过渡到另一个阶段时，线粒体结构和功能会发生变化。我们实验室一直关注线粒体 ATP 合酶在整个生命周期中线粒体变化中所起的作用。对最近完成的布氏锥虫基因组的分析表明，可能存在多个编码 ATP 合酶亚基 c 的假定基因。这些基因在 3' 末端同源，但在 5' 末端不同，如果表达，将产生三种不同的蛋白质。我们的分析表明，在半胱氨酸和血液阶段都检测到了所有三种可能的转录本，尽管 c-3 转录本的丰度低于 c-1 或 c-2。亚基 c 的三种同工型都在血液和半胱氨酸阶段产生，其成熟蛋白产物在发现于线粒体的蛋白中具有独特的 N 端区域。所有三种同工型也都从半胱氨酸细胞中组装的 ATP 合酶复合物中掺入。虽然在其他生物体中已经发现了多个亚基 c 基因，但它们产生相同的多肽，而在成熟蛋白中发现的显著差异是布氏锥虫所特有的。
