The trypanosome spliced leader small RNA gene family: stage-specific modification of one of several similar dispersed genes

PCR primer evaluation for the detection of trypanosome DNA in naturally infected goats

The buffy coat of 76 roaming goats from the Bansang and Missira regions in Gambia, was examined for the presence of trypanosomes. From these animals, extractions from dry blood samples on filter paper were subjected to PCR using three different primer sets, ORPHON5J, GOL and TVW, specific for Trypanosoma brucei/Trypanosoma evansi, Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma vivax, respectively. PCR results for T. congolense were 100% concordant with buffy coat examination. Besides the three T. vivax buffy coat-positive samples, another 15 yielded positive with the TVW primers. The ORPHON5J primers yielded no positive results. Analyses with the GOL primers of putatively negative samples, yielded aberrant band patterns whose diagnostic significance still remains to be determined.

The mini-exon gene of Trypanosoma (Nannomonas) simiae: sequence variation between isolates and a distinguishing molecular marker

The mini-exon gene repeats from two isolates of Trypanosoma (Nannomonas) simiae were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The products from each isolate differed in size, however they cross-hybridised in Southern blots. The nature of the size variation was revealed by comparison of the DNA sequence of each repeat: relative to the BAN7 strain, the mini-exon gene of KETRI 2431 contained three apparent deletions that were flanked by short (> or = 6-bp) direct repeats. Furthermore, one of the cloned repeats was used as a hybridisation probe against DNA from other closely-related African trypanosomes. The lack of hybridisation of the T. (N.) simiae mini-exon gene to genomic DNA from the Forest, Kilifi and Savannah subgroups of T. (N.) congolense and T. (N.) godfreyi indicate that this PCR-hybridisation assay may be useful for distinguishing T. (N.) simiae from other members of the subgenus Nannomonas.

Diagnostic evaluation of PCR on dried blood samples from goats experimentally infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei

In seven goats experimentally infected with a pleomorphic clone of Trypanosoma brucei brucei, parasitaemia was monitored weekly for 6 weeks by wet blood film and microhaematocrit buffy coat examination. Dried blood samples on filter paper were concomitantly collected and tested by PCR using three different primer sets, putatively specific for Trypanozoon, T. vivax and T. congolense. With the originally designed ORPHON5J Trypanozoon primers, PCR tests became positive after 1 week (six animals) or 2 weeks (one animal) of infection and remained consistently positive until the end of the experiments, thus yielding an overall positivity rate of 97%, as compared with 74% for all parasitological tests together. The T. vivax and T. congolense primers yielded no positive PCR results.

Expression of a bacterial gene in a trypanosomatid protozoan

A simple and reproducible assay for DNA-mediated transfection in the trypanosomatid protozoan Leptomonas seymouri has been developed. The assay is based on expression of the Escherichia coli chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) gene flanked by Leptomonas DNA fragments that are likely to contain necessary elements for gene expression in trypanosomes. After electroporation of cells in the presence of plasmid DNA, CAT activity was detected in crude cell lysates. No activity was detected when the orientation of the L. seymouri mini-exon sequence (placed upstream of the CAT gene) was reversed, or in additional control experiments. This system provides a method for defining transcriptional control elements in trypanosomes.

The structure and transcription of an element interspersed between tandem arrays of mini-exon donor RNA genes in Trypanosoma brucei

Messenger RNAs in Trypanosoma brucei brucei have the same 35 bases at the 5' end. These 35 bases are not encoded contiguously in the genome, but are donated from a 140 base RNA (the mini-exon donor RNA). The mini-exon donor RNA (medRNA) is encoded by 1.35 kbp genes that occur in tandem repeats. A DNA element that is associated with mini-exon donor RNA medRNA genes has been identified and characterised by restriction enzyme mapping and partial sequencing. This element (the medRNA gene associated element: MAE) varies in length between 5.5 and 7 kbp. There are between 20 and 40 copies of the element per haploid genome. In clones of genomic DNA MAEs occurred between two medRNA gene arrays and on both sides of a medRNA gene array. The MAEs were always in the same orientation with respect to the medRNA genes. It is proposed that in the genome MAEs are interspersed between tandem arrays of medRNA genes. The transcription of the element has been investigated. Low levels of a 70-80 base transcript derived from a small part of MAE were detected in steady state RNA. Nuclear run off transcript studies indicated that MAEs were transcribed at high levels and that they possibly contain at least one start and stop of transcription.