HOMEPRODUCTSCOMPANYCONTACTFAQResearchDictionaryPharmaSign Up FREE or Login

Evidence of tRNA cleavage in apicomplexan parasites: Half-tRNAs as new potential regulatory molecules of Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium berghei.

Abstract
Several lines of evidence demonstrated that organisms ranging from bacteria to higher animals possess a regulated endonucleolytic cleavage pathway producing half-tRNA fragments. In the present study, we investigated the occurrence of this phenomenon in two distantly related apicomplexan parasites, Toxoplasma gondii, the agent of toxoplasmosis, and the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei. A low-scale molecular characterization of the small RNA fraction of T. gondii revealed the endonucleolytic processing of 10 distinct tRNA species, with cleavage in the anticodon loop and upstream of the 3'-terminal CCA sequence yielding 5'- or 3'-end half-tRNAs. T. gondii and P. berghei exhibited variable rates of tRNA cleavage upon egress from host cells and in response to stage differentiation, amino acid starvation and heat-shock. Moreover, avirulent isolates of T. gondii and attenuated P. berghei parasites showed a higher rate of tRNA cleavage than virulent strains. Interestingly, half-tRNA production was significantly higher in the metabolically quiescent bradyzoite and sporozoite stages of T. gondii, compared to the fast-growing tachyzoite. Collectively, our findings shed light for the first time on the occurrence of tRNA cleavage in apicomplexan parasites and suggest a relationship between half-tRNA production and growth rate in this important group of organisms.
AuthorsRoberto Galizi, Furio Spano, Maria Angela Giubilei, Barbara Capuccini, Alessandro Magini, Lorena Urbanelli, Tetsuhiro Ogawa, Jitender P Dubey, Roberta Spaccapelo, Carla Emiliani, Manlio Di Cristina
JournalMolecular and biochemical parasitology (Mol Biochem Parasitol) Vol. 188 Issue 2 Pg. 99-108 (Apr 2013) ISSN: 1872-9428 [Electronic] Netherlands
PMID23557708 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
CopyrightCopyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Chemical References
  • RNA, Transfer
Topics
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Hydrolysis
  • Plasmodium berghei (genetics, metabolism)
  • RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional
  • RNA, Transfer (metabolism)
  • Toxoplasma (genetics, metabolism)

Join CureHunter, for free Research Interface BASIC access!

Take advantage of free CureHunter research engine access to explore the best drug and treatment options for any disease. Find out why thousands of doctors, pharma researchers and patient activists around the world use CureHunter every day.
Realize the full power of the drug-disease research graph!


Choose Username:
Email:
Password:
Verify Password:
Enter Code Shown: