Sex and evolution in trypanosomes

International Journal for Parasitology
W C Gibson

Abstract

Trypanosoma brucei is still the only kinetoplastid known to undergo genetic exchange, but it seems unreasonable to suppose that it evolved this process all by itself. The position of T. brucei on a molecular phylogenetic tree constructed from 18S ribosomal RNA gene sequences offers no clues to the likely existence of genetic exchange in trypanosome species other than the Salivaria, because this group of trypanosomes appears to have diverged from the rest a very long time ago. Antigenic variation is one characteristic shared by the Salivaria, which has been particularly well-studied in T. brucei. The large proportion of the genome devoted to variant antigen genes and related sequences in T. brucei, suggests a possible role for genetic exchange in enhancing the diversity of the repertoire. Alternatively, genetic exchange may counter potential excessive double-strand DNA damage brought about by the DNA rearrangements associated with antigenic variation. The remarkable biparental inheritance of organelle DNA (=kinetoplast DNA) in T. brucei is without precedent in other eukaryotes. The result of genetic exchange is to enhance the heterogeneity of the kinetoplast DNA minicircles.

References

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Citations

Oct 16, 2002·Trends in Parasitology·Michel Tibayrenc, Francisco J Ayala
Jun 20, 2002·European Journal of Biochemistry·Georgina MontagnaAlberto C C Frasch
Apr 17, 2012·International Journal of Endocrinology·Prasanth N SurampudiRonald Swerdloff
Jan 18, 2005·Journal of Cell Science·Keith R Matthews
Feb 26, 2010·Journal of Biomedicine & Biotechnology·Toya Nath Baral
May 12, 2009·Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology·Pavel N FlegontovAlexander A Kolesnikov
Nov 18, 2005·Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology·Chris Proudfoot, Richard McCulloch
Jan 26, 2005·Current Biology : CB·C William Birky
Nov 12, 2014·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Audrey RomanoDavid L Sacks
Jan 5, 2006·Genome Génome / Conseil National De Recherches Canada·Jianping Xu
Oct 1, 2011·Chembiochem : a European Journal of Chemical Biology·Roland Schauer, Johannis P Kamerling

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