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. 1984 Jul 11;12(13):5235–5247. doi: 10.1093/nar/12.13.5235

Possible DNA modification in GC dinucleotides of Trypanosoma brucei telomeric sequences; relationship with antigen gene transcription.

E Pays, M F Delauw, M Laurent, M Steinert
PMCID: PMC318916  PMID: 6087278

Abstract

Polymorphism in restriction site cleavage (PstI, SphI, PvuII, HindIII) has been noticed in several occasions in the telomeric sequences harbouring trypanosome variant-specific antigen genes (1, 2, 3). This polymorphism has been further investigated and seems best interpreted as due to partial DNA modification in GC dinucleotides. The actively transcribed telomeric genes do not exhibit such a polymorphism; furthermore, in at least three independent cases, gene inactivation is linked to the appearance of polymorphism. It could thus be hypothesized that DNA modification prevents antigen gene transcription, or vice-versa. We report however that at least some telomeric antigen-specific sequences of the procyclic trypanosomes (in vitro culture form) are not polymorphic, although they do not synthesize any variant-specific antigen mRNA. There is thus no absolute relationship between the absence of polymorphism and antigen gene transcription.

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Selected References

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

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