Molecular karyotyping and chromosomal evolution in Trypanosoma cruzi: analysis syntenic among isolates from different parasite strains

• Grant number: 12/21713-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): December 01, 2012
• Effective date (End): November 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Parasitology - Protozoology of Parasites
• Principal Investigator: José Franco da Silveira Filho
• Grantee: Caroline Cortez
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 11/51475-3 - Molecular and cellular biology of the parasitism by Trypanosoma cruzi, AP.TEM

Abstract

In this project, the molecular karyotype of different isolates of Trypanosoma cruzi will be correlated with the physical and genetic maps by hybridization of the chromosomal bands with chromosome-specific markers identified in T. cruzi genome databases. Recently, we compared the hybridization pattern of 120 chromosome-specific markers identified in silico with the chromosomal bands separated by PFGE from the isolates clone CL Brener and G strain. This analysis showed that large syntenic blocks are conserved among isolates, but it was also observed the occurrence of breakage of synteny due to duplication and/or deletion of the chromosome. We do not know if the preservation of synteny was accompanied by the maintenance of gene colinearity. A new type of synteny called mesosinteny described in fungi consists in keeping the same genes on homologous chromosomes, however, the alleles are arranged in different order and orientations. The objective of this project is to extend the syntenic analysis to different T. cruzi isolates at the chromosomal level by hybridization with chromosome-specific markers. In this analysis will be included genetic markers from three T. cruzi isolates whose genomes have been recently sequenced (Sylvio X10.1, Dm28c, and CL14) and two strains of Tc lines III and IV Tc. The inclusion of new isolates should help us to investigate the occurrence of mesosinteny in Trypanosoma cruzi. (AU)