RESUMO
Arginine-Serine (RS) domain-containing proteins are RNA binding proteins with multiple functions in RNA metabolism. In mammalian cells this group of proteins is also implicated in regulation and coordination of cell cycle and apoptosis. In trypanosomes, an early branching group within the eukaryotic lineage, this group of proteins is represented by 3 members, two of them are SR proteins and have been recently shown to be involved in rRNA processing as well as in pre-mRNA splicing and stability. Here we report our findings on the 3rd member, the SR-related protein TbRRM1. In the present study, we showed that TbRRM1 ablation by RNA-interference in T. brucei procyclic cells leads to cell-cycle block, abnormal cell elongation compatible with the nozzle phenotype and cell death by an apoptosis-like mechanism. Our results expand the role of the trypanosomal RS-domain containing proteins in key cellular processes such as cell cycle and apoptosis-like death, roles also carried out by the mammalian SR proteins, and thus suggesting a conserved function in this phylogenetically conserved protein family.
Assuntos
Apoptose , Pontos de Checagem do Ciclo Celular , Proteínas de Protozoários/metabolismo , Proteínas de Ligação a RNA/antagonistas & inibidores , Trypanosoma brucei brucei/patogenicidade , Tripanossomíase/patologia , Animais , Arginina/metabolismo , Northern Blotting , Western Blotting , Proliferação de Células , Células Cultivadas , Imunofluorescência , Potencial da Membrana Mitocondrial , Proteínas de Protozoários/genética , RNA Mensageiro/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a RNA/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a RNA/metabolismo , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase em Tempo Real , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase Reversa , Serina/metabolismo , Tripanossomíase/parasitologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Triatoma infestans is the most relevant vector of Chagas disease in the southern cone of South America. Since its genome has not yet been studied, sequencing of Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) is one of the most powerful tools for efficiently identifying large numbers of expressed genes in this insect vector. RESULTS: In this work, we generated 826 ESTs, resulting in an increase of 47% in the number of ESTs available for T. infestans. These ESTs were assembled in 471 unique sequences, 151 of which represent 136 new genes for the Reduviidae family. CONCLUSIONS: Among the putative new genes for the Reduviidae family, we identified and described an interesting subset of genes involved in development and reproduction, which constitute potential targets for insecticide development.
