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(Reference retrieved automatically from SciELO through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Cloning and molecular characterization of Trypanosoma cruzi U2, U4, U5, and U6 small nuclear RNAs

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Author(s):
DL Ambrósio [1] ; MTA Silva [2] ; RMB Cicarelli [3]
Total Authors: 3
Affiliation:
[1] Universidade Estadual Paulista. Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas. Departamento de Ciências Biológicas - Brasil
[2] Universidade Estadual Paulista. Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas. Departamento de Ciências Biológicas - Brasil
[3] Universidade Estadual Paulista. Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas. Departamento de Ciências Biológicas - Brasil
Total Affiliations: 3
Document type: Journal article
Source: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz; v. 102, n. 1, p. 97-106, 2007-02-00.
Abstract

Small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) are important factors in the functioning of eukaryotic cells that form several small complexes with proteins; these ribonucleoprotein particles (U snRNPs) have an essential role in the pre-mRNA processing, particularly in splicing, catalyzed by spliceosomes, large RNA-protein complexes composed of various snRNPs. Even though they are well defined in mammals, snRNPs are still not totally characterized in certain trypanosomatids as Trypanosoma cruzi. For this reason we subjected snRNAs (U2, U4, U5, and U6) from T. cruzi epimastigotes to molecular characterization by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse transcription-PCR. These amplified sequences were cloned, sequenced, and compared with those other of trypanosomatids. Among these snRNAs, U5 was less conserved and U6 the most conserved. Their respective secondary structures were predicted and compared with known T. brucei structures. In addition, the copy number of each snRNA in the T. cruzi genome was characterized by Southern blotting. (AU)