Title: Sense from Nonsense: RNA Editing in Mitochondria of Kinetoplastid Protozoa and Slime Molds Minireview
Abstract: Larry Simpson and Otavio H. Thiemann Howard Hughes Medical Institute Departments of Biology and Medical Microbiology and Immunology University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, California 90024 The reworking of the sequences of mitochondrial DNA transcripts is an intriguing genetic phenomenon that con- tinues to create amazement even today, 9 years after the discovery of uridine (U) insertion/deletion editing in try- panosomatid mitochondria. Upon initial exposure to this phenomenon, the usual scientific questions of what and how were rapidly followed by the more philosophical ques- tion of why. In fact, some answers to both types of ques- tions have been obtained recently, and these will be dis- cussed in this minireview. What? Kinetoplastid Protozoa The kinetoplastid protozoa contain two major taxonomic subgroups--the trypanosomatids and the bodonids/ cryptobiids--as determined both through morphology and by the tools of molecular phylogeny. Phylogenetic recon- structions of trypanosomatids, using rRNA sequences, showed that the digenetic African trypanosome Trypano- soma brucei represents the deepest branch and that the digenetic lizard parasite Leishmania tarentolae and the monogenetic insect parasite Crithidia fasciculata com- prise a more recently evolved monophyletic clade (Fernan- des et al., 1993; Landweber and Gilbert, 1994; Maslov and Simpson, 1994). Editing has, to date, been investigated in 12 trypanosomatid species and in one cryptobiid species. The mitochondrial genome in these cells is termed ki- netoplast DNA (kDNA) and consists of two molecular spe- Minicircles / Maxicircle )
Publication Year: 1995
Publication Date: 1995-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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