The Genome of the Kinetoplastid Parasite, Leishmania major

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 309; no. 5733; pp. 436 - 442
• Main Authors: Ivens, Alasdair C., Peacock, Christopher S., Worthey, Elizabeth A., Murphy, Lee, Aggarwal, Gautam, Berriman, Matthew, Sisk, Ellen, Rajandream, Marie-Adele, Adlem, Ellen, Aert, Rita, Anupama, Atashi, Apostolou, Zina, Bason, Nathalie, Bauser, Christopher, Beck, Alfred, Beverley, Stephen M., Bianchettin, Gabriella, Borzym, Katja, Bothe, Gordana, Bruschi, Carlo V., Collins, Matt, Cadag, Eithon, Ciarloni, Laura, Clayton, Christine, Richard M. R. Coulson, Cronin, Ann, Cruz, Angela K., Davies, Robert M., De Gaudenzi, Javier, Dobson, Deborah E., Duesterhoeft, Andreas, Fazelina, Gholam, Fosker, Nigel, Frasch, Alberto Carlos, Fraser, Audrey, Fuchs, Monika, Gabel, Claudia, Goble, Arlette, Goffeau, André, Harris, David, Hertz-Fowler, Christiane, Hilbert, Helmut, Horn, David, Huang, Yiting, Klages, Sven, Knights, Andrew, Kube, Michael, Larke, Natasha, Litvin, Lyudmila, Lord, Angela, Louie, Tin, Marra, Marco, Masuy, David, Matthews, Keith, Michaeli, Shulamit, Mottram, Jeremy C., Müller-Auer, Silke, Munden, Heather, Nelson, Siri, Norbertczak, Halina, Oliver, Karen, O'Neil, Susan, Pentony, Martin, Pohl, Thomas M., Price, Claire, Purnelle, Bénédicte, Quail, Michael A., Rabbinowitsch, Ester, Reinhardt, Richard, Rieger, Michael, Rinta, Joel, Robben, Johan, Robertson, Laura, Ruiz, Jeronimo C., Rutter, Simon, Saunders, David, Schäfer, Melanie, Schein, Jacquie, Schwartz, David C., Seeger, Kathy, Seyler, Amber, Sharp, Sarah, Shin, Heesun, Sivam, Dhileep, Squares, Rob, Squares, Steve, Tosato, Valentina, Vogt, Christy, Volckaert, Guido, Wambutt, Rolf, Warren, Tim, Wedler, Holger, Woodward, John, Zhou, Shiguo, Zimmermann, Wolfgang, Smith, Deborah F., Blackwell, Jenefer M., Stuart, Kenneth D., Barrell, Bart, Myler, Peter J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Association for the Advancement of Science 15.07.2005; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Algorithms; Animals; chromatin; Chromatin - genetics; Chromatin - metabolism; Chromosomes; Coding; DNA-directed RNA polymerase; Eukaryotic cells; Gene Expression Regulation; Genes; Genes, Protozoan; Genes, rRNA; Genetic aspects; Genetic loci; Genome, Protozoan; Genomes; Genomics; glycoconjugates; Glycoconjugates - biosynthesis; Glycoconjugates - metabolism; haploidy; host-pathogen relationships; human diseases; Infections; Leishmania major; Leishmania major - chemistry; Leishmania major - genetics; Leishmania major - metabolism; Leishmaniasis; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous - parasitology; Lipid Metabolism; Macrophages; Membrane Proteins - biosynthesis; Membrane Proteins - chemistry; Membrane Proteins - genetics; Membrane Proteins - metabolism; Molecular Sequence Data; Multigene Family; Parasites; Protein Biosynthesis; Protein Processing, Post-Translational; Proteins; proteolysis; Protozoan Proteins - biosynthesis; Protozoan Proteins - chemistry; Protozoan Proteins - genetics; Protozoan Proteins - metabolism; pseudogenes; RNA; RNA polymerase; RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; RNA Splicing; RNA, Protozoan - genetics; RNA, Protozoan - metabolism; RNA-binding proteins; Sequence Analysis, DNA; subtropics; transcription (genetics); transcription factors; Transcription, Genetic; Translation; Trypanosoma brucei; Trypanosoma cruzi; Zinc
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1112680

Leishmania species cause a spectrum of human diseases in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. We have sequenced the 36 chromosomes of the 32.8-megabase haploid genome of Leishmania major (Friedlin strain) and predict 911 RNA genes, 39 pseudogenes, and 8272 protein-coding genes, of which 36% can be ascribed a putative function. These include genes involved in host-pathogen interactions, such as proteolytic enzymes, and extensive machinery for synthesis of complex surface glycoconjugates. The organization of protein-coding genes into long, strand-specific, polycistronic clusters and lack of general transcription factors in the L. major, Trypanosoma brucei, and Trypanosoma cruzi (Tritryp) genomes suggest that the mechanisms regulating RNA polymerase II-directed transcription are distinct from those operating in other eukaryotes, although the trypanosomatids appear capable of chromatin remodeling. Abundant RNA-binding proteins are encoded in the Tritryp genomes, consistent with active posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression.