Regulated expression of glycosomal phosphoglycerate kinase in Trypanosoma brucei.

In Trypanosoma brucei, the PGKB and PGKC genes-encoding phosphoglycerate kinase are co-transcribed as part of a polycistronic RNA. PGKB mRNA and the cytosolic PGKB protein are much more abundant in the procyclic life-cycle stage than in bloodstream forms, whereas PGKC mRNA and glycosomal PGKC protein are specific to bloodstream forms. We here show that a sequence between nucleotides 558 and 779 in the 3'-untranslated region of the PGKC mRNA causes low expression of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene in procyclic trypanosomes. In procyclics, depletion of the RRP45 component of the exosome (3'-->5' exonuclease complex) or the 5'-->3' exonuclease XRNA increased the abundance of CAT-PGKC mRNA as a consequence of effects on the degradation of precursor and/or mature mRNAs. In bloodstream forms, inhibition of both trans splicing and transcription resulted in immediate exponential decay of PGKC mRNA with a half-life of 46 min. Inhibition of transcription alone gave non-exponential kinetics and inhibition of splicing alone resulted in a longer apparent half-life. We also found that production of mRNAs using T7 polymerase can affect the apparent half-life, and that large amounts of CAT enzyme may be toxic in trypanosomes.

Ruthenium complex containing block copolymer for the enhancement of carbon nanotube photoconductivity.

We report the synthesis of a multifunctional block copolymer incorporated with pyrene and ruthenium terpyridyl thiocyanato complex moieties by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. The pyrene block in the copolymer facilitates the dispersion of multiwalled carbon nanotubes in DMF solution because of the strong π-π interaction between the pyrene moieties and nanotube surface. On the other hand, the ruthenium complexes greatly enhance the photosensitivity of the functionalized nanotubes in the visible region. The photocurrent responses of the nanotubes at different wavelength measured by conductive AFM spectrum strongly agree with the absorption spectrum of the ruthenium complex. The results demonstrate a new and versatile approach in enhancing and fine-tuning the photosensitivity or other opto-electronic properties of carbon nanotubes by multifunctional block copolymers.

eIF5A promotes translation elongation, polysome disassembly and stress granule assembly.

Stress granules (SGs) are cytoplasmic foci at which untranslated mRNAs accumulate in cells exposed to environmental stress. We have identified ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), an enzyme required for polyamine synthesis, and eIF5A, a polyamine (hypusine)-modified translation factor, as proteins required for arsenite-induced SG assembly. Knockdown of deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) or treatment with a deoxyhypusine synthase inhibitor (GC7) prevents hypusine modification of eIF5A as well as arsenite-induced polysome disassembly and stress granule assembly. Time-course analysis reveals that this is due to a slowing of stress-induced ribosome run-off in cells lacking hypusine-eIF5A. Whereas eIF5A only marginally affects protein synthesis under normal conditions, it is required for the rapid onset of stress-induced translational repression. Our results reveal that hypusine-eIF5A-facilitated translation elongation promotes arsenite-induced polysome disassembly and stress granule assembly in cells subjected to adverse environmental conditions.

Processing of a phosphoglycerate kinase reporter mRNA in Trypanosoma brucei is not coupled to transcription by RNA polymerase II.

Capping of mRNAs is strictly coupled to RNA polymerase II transcription and there is evidence, mainly from metazoans, that other steps in pre-mRNA processing show a similar linkage. In trypanosomes, however, the mRNA cap is supplied by a trans spliced leader sequence. Thus pre-mRNAs transcribed by RNA Polymerase I are capped by trans splicing, and translation-competent transgenic mRNAs can be produced by RNA Polymerase I and T7 RNA polymerase so long as the primary transcript has a splice acceptor signal. We quantified the efficiency of processing of trypanosome pre-mRNAs produced from a plasmid integrated either at the tubulin locus, or in an rRNA spacer, and transcribed by RNA polymerase II, RNA polymerase I or T7 RNA polymerase. The processing efficiencies were similar for primary transcripts from the tubulin locus, produced by RNA polymerase II, and for RNA from an rRNA spacer, transcribed by RNA polymerase I. Primary transcripts produced by T7 RNA polymerase from the tubulin locus were processed almost as well. There was therefore no evidence for recruitment of the 3'-splicing apparatus by the RNA polymerase. Abundant transcripts transcribed from the rRNA locus by T7 RNA polymerase were somewhat less efficiently processed.

Roles of a Trypanosoma brucei 5'->3' exoribonuclease homolog in mRNA degradation.

The genome of the kinetoplastid parasite Trypanosoma brucei encodes four homologs of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae 5'-->3' exoribonucleases Xrn1p and Xrn2p/Rat1p, XRNA, XRNB, XRNC, and XRND. In S. cerevisiae, Xrn1p is a cytosolic enzyme involved in degradation of mRNA, whereas Xrn2p is involved in RNA processing in the nucleus. Trypanosome XRND was found in the nucleus, XRNB and XRNC were found in the cytoplasm, and XRNA appeared to be in both compartments. XRND and XRNA were essential for parasite growth. Depletion of XRNA increased the abundances of highly unstable developmentally regulated mRNAs, perhaps by delaying a deadenylation-independent decay pathway. Degradation of more stable or unregulated mRNAs was not affected by XRNA depletion although a slight decrease in average poly(A) tail length was observed. We conclude that in trypanosomes 5'-->3' exonuclease activity is important in degradation of highly unstable, regulated mRNAs, but that for other mRNAs another step is more important in determining the decay rate.