Work

Multiple terminal uridylyltransferases of trypanosomes

Year: 2004

Type: article

Abstract: The transferase activities that add uridylyl residues to RNA have been reported in several unicellular and metazoan organisms. Thus far, the two terminal uridylyltransferases (TUTases) involved in uridine insertion/deletion mRNA editing in mitochondria of trypanosomes were the only known enzymes with confirmed UTP specificity. Here, we demonstrate that protein sequences of editing TUTases may be used to predict novel UTP-specific enzymes by data mining. The highest-scoring open reading frame from Trypanosoma brucei was expressed and recombinant protein purified. This enzyme catalyzes a processive UMP incorporation and is not localized to the mitochondria suggesting a non-editing biological function.

Source: FEBS Letters

DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2004.07.004

Authors: Ruslan Aphasizhev, Inna Aphasizheva, Larry Simpson

Institutions: University of California, Los Angeles, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Language: English

Topic: Trypanosoma species research and implications

Subfield: Epidemiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Award: G477385539