Skip to main content
PMC home page
Molecular and Cellular Biology logoLink to Molecular and Cellular Biology
. 1995 Jan;15(1):87–93. doi: 10.1128/mcb.15.1.87

A selector of transcription initiation in the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii.

D Soldati 1, J C Boothroyd 1
PMCID: PMC231911  PMID: 7799972

Abstract

The recent development of an efficient transfection system for the apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii allows a comprehensive dissection of the elements involved in gene transcription in this obligate intracellular parasite. We demonstrate here that for the SAG1 gene, a stretch of six repeated sequences in the region 35 to 190 bp upstream of the first of two transcription start sites is essential for efficient and accurate transcription initiation. This repeat element shows characteristics of a selector in determining the position of the transcription start sites.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (398.1 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bangs J. D., Crain P. F., Hashizume T., McCloskey J. A., Boothroyd J. C. Mass spectrometry of mRNA cap 4 from trypanosomatids reveals two novel nucleosides. J Biol Chem. 1992 May 15;267(14):9805–9815. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Ben Amar M. F., Jefferies D., Pays A., Bakalara N., Kendall G., Pays E. The actin gene promoter of Trypanosoma brucei. Nucleic Acids Res. 1991 Nov 11;19(21):5857–5862. doi: 10.1093/nar/19.21.5857. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Blake M. C., Jambou R. C., Swick A. G., Kahn J. W., Azizkhan J. C. Transcriptional initiation is controlled by upstream GC-box interactions in a TATAA-less promoter. Mol Cell Biol. 1990 Dec;10(12):6632–6641. doi: 10.1128/mcb.10.12.6632. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Burg J. L., Perelman D., Kasper L. H., Ware P. L., Boothroyd J. C. Molecular analysis of the gene encoding the major surface antigen of Toxoplasma gondii. J Immunol. 1988 Nov 15;141(10):3584–3591. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bülow R., Boothroyd J. C. Protection of mice from fatal Toxoplasma gondii infection by immunization with p30 antigen in liposomes. J Immunol. 1991 Nov 15;147(10):3496–3500. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Clayton C. E., Fueri J. P., Itzhaki J. E., Bellofatto V., Sherman D. R., Wisdom G. S., Vijayasarathy S., Mowatt M. R. Transcription of the procyclic acidic repetitive protein genes of Trypanosoma brucei. Mol Cell Biol. 1990 Jun;10(6):3036–3047. doi: 10.1128/mcb.10.6.3036. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Cross G. A. Cellular and genetic aspects of antigenic variation in trypanosomes. Annu Rev Immunol. 1990;8:83–110. doi: 10.1146/annurev.iy.08.040190.000503. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Dubremetz J. F., Rodriguez C., Ferreira E. Toxoplasma gondii: redistribution of monoclonal antibodies on tachyzoites during host cell invasion. Exp Parasitol. 1985 Feb;59(1):24–32. doi: 10.1016/0014-4894(85)90053-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Grosschedl R., Birnstiel M. L. Spacer DNA sequences upstream of the T-A-T-A-A-A-T-A sequence are essential for promotion of H2A histone gene transcription in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Dec;77(12):7102–7106. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.12.7102. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kasper L. H., Bradley M. S., Pfefferkorn E. R. Identification of stage-specific sporozoite antigens of Toxoplasma gondii by monoclonal antibodies. J Immunol. 1984 Jan;132(1):443–449. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kasper L. H., Crabb J. H., Pfefferkorn E. R. Purification of a major membrane protein of Toxoplasma gondii by immunoabsorption with a monoclonal antibody. J Immunol. 1983 May;130(5):2407–2412. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kasper L. H. Identification of stage-specific antigens of Toxoplasma gondii. Infect Immun. 1989 Mar;57(3):668–672. doi: 10.1128/iai.57.3.668-672.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Khan I. A., Ely K. H., Kasper L. H. A purified parasite antigen (p30) mediates CD8+ T cell immunity against fatal Toxoplasma gondii infection in mice. J Immunol. 1991 Nov 15;147(10):3501–3506. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Kim K., Soldati D., Boothroyd J. C. Gene replacement in Toxoplasma gondii with chloramphenicol acetyltransferase as selectable marker. Science. 1993 Nov 5;262(5135):911–914. doi: 10.1126/science.8235614. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kollmar R., Farnham P. J. Site-specific initiation of transcription by RNA polymerase II. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1993 Jun;203(2):127–139. doi: 10.3181/00379727-203-43583. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. McAndrew M. B., Read M., Sims P. F., Hyde J. E. Characterisation of the gene encoding an unusually divergent TATA-binding protein (TBP) from the extremely A+T-rich human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Gene. 1993 Feb 28;124(2):165–171. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(93)90390-o. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Mineo J. R., McLeod R., Mack D., Smith J., Khan I. A., Ely K. H., Kasper L. H. Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii major surface protein (SAG-1, P30) inhibit infection of host cells and are produced in murine intestine after peroral infection. J Immunol. 1993 May 1;150(9):3951–3964. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Nagel S. D., Boothroyd J. C. The alpha- and beta-tubulins of Toxoplasma gondii are encoded by single copy genes containing multiple introns. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 1988 Jun;29(2-3):261–273. doi: 10.1016/0166-6851(88)90081-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Pavé-Preux M., Aggerbeck M., Veyssier C., Bousquet-Lemercier B., Hanoune J., Barouki R. Hormonal discrimination among transcription start sites of aspartate aminotransferase. J Biol Chem. 1990 Mar 15;265(8):4444–4448. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Pays E., Coquelet H., Tebabi P., Pays A., Jefferies D., Steinert M., Koenig E., Williams R. O., Roditi I. Trypanosoma brucei: constitutive activity of the VSG and procyclin gene promoters. EMBO J. 1990 Oct;9(10):3145–3151. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1990.tb07512.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Schatt M. D., Rusconi S., Schaffner W. A single DNA-binding transcription factor is sufficient for activation from a distant enhancer and/or from a promoter position. EMBO J. 1990 Feb;9(2):481–487. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1990.tb08134.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Smale S. T., Baltimore D. The "initiator" as a transcription control element. Cell. 1989 Apr 7;57(1):103–113. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90176-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Soldati D., Boothroyd J. C. Transient transfection and expression in the obligate intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Science. 1993 Apr 16;260(5106):349–352. doi: 10.1126/science.8469986. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Tomavo S., Fortier B., Soete M., Ansel C., Camus D., Dubremetz J. F. Characterization of bradyzoite-specific antigens of Toxoplasma gondii. Infect Immun. 1991 Oct;59(10):3750–3753. doi: 10.1128/iai.59.10.3750-3753.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. White R. J., Jackson S. P. The TATA-binding protein: a central role in transcription by RNA polymerases I, II and III. Trends Genet. 1992 Aug;8(8):284–288. doi: 10.1016/0168-9525(92)90255-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Wieland S., Schatt M. D., Rusconi S. Role of TATA-element in transcription from glucocorticoid receptor-responsive model promoters. Nucleic Acids Res. 1990 Sep 11;18(17):5113–5118. doi: 10.1093/nar/18.17.5113. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Zomerdijk J. C., Ouellette M., ten Asbroek A. L., Kieft R., Bommer A. M., Clayton C. E., Borst P. The promoter for a variant surface glycoprotein gene expression site in Trypanosoma brucei. EMBO J. 1990 Sep;9(9):2791–2801. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1990.tb07467.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. van den Hoff M. J., Moorman A. F., Lamers W. H. Electroporation in 'intracellular' buffer increases cell survival. Nucleic Acids Res. 1992 Jun 11;20(11):2902–2902. doi: 10.1093/nar/20.11.2902. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Molecular and Cellular Biology are provided here courtesy of Taylor & Francis

RESOURCES