Next Article in Journal
Undiagnosed Cases of Human Pneumonia Following Exposure to Chlamydia psittaci from an Infected Rosella Parrot
Previous Article in Journal
Detection and Characterization of Clinical Bordetella trematum Isolates from Chronic Wounds
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Pathogens
Volume 10
Issue 8
10.3390/pathogens10080967
pathogens-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Review

Regulation of Antigenic Variation by Trypanosoma brucei Telomere Proteins Depends on Their Unique DNA Binding Activities

by
Bibo Li
1,2,3,4,* and
Yanxiang Zhao
5,6,*
1
Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, College of Sciences and Health Professions, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA
2
Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
3
Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
4
Center for RNA Science and Therapeutics, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
5
Shenzhen Research Institute, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Shenzhen, China
6
State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Pathogens 2021, 10(8), 967; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10080967
Submission received: 8 July 2021 / Revised: 22 July 2021 / Accepted: 27 July 2021 / Published: 30 July 2021
(This article belongs to the Section Parasitic Pathogens)
Browse Figures
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

Trypanosoma brucei causes human African trypanosomiasis and regularly switches its major surface antigen, Variant Surface Glycoprotein (VSG), to evade the host immune response. Such antigenic variation is a key pathogenesis mechanism that enables T. brucei to establish long-term infections. VSG is expressed exclusively from subtelomere loci in a strictly monoallelic manner, and DNA recombination is an important VSG switching pathway. The integrity of telomere and subtelomere structure, maintained by multiple telomere proteins, is essential for T. brucei viability and for regulating the monoallelic VSG expression and VSG switching. Here we will focus on T. brucei TRF and RAP1, two telomere proteins with unique nucleic acid binding activities, and summarize their functions in telomere integrity and stability, VSG switching, and monoallelic VSG expression. Targeting the unique features of TbTRF and TbRAP1′s nucleic acid binding activities to perturb the integrity of telomere structure and disrupt VSG monoallelic expression may serve as potential therapeutic strategy against T. brucei.
Keywords: antigenic variation; Trypanosoma brucei; VSG; telomere; TRF; RAP1; Myb domain; DNA binding activity antigenic variation; Trypanosoma brucei; VSG; telomere; TRF; RAP1; Myb domain; DNA binding activity

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Li, B.; Zhao, Y. Regulation of Antigenic Variation by Trypanosoma brucei Telomere Proteins Depends on Their Unique DNA Binding Activities. Pathogens 2021, 10, 967. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10080967

AMA Style

Li B, Zhao Y. Regulation of Antigenic Variation by Trypanosoma brucei Telomere Proteins Depends on Their Unique DNA Binding Activities. Pathogens. 2021; 10(8):967. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10080967

Chicago/Turabian Style

Li, Bibo, and Yanxiang Zhao. 2021. "Regulation of Antigenic Variation by Trypanosoma brucei Telomere Proteins Depends on Their Unique DNA Binding Activities" Pathogens 10, no. 8: 967. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10080967

APA Style

Li, B., & Zhao, Y. (2021). Regulation of Antigenic Variation by Trypanosoma brucei Telomere Proteins Depends on Their Unique DNA Binding Activities. Pathogens, 10(8), 967. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10080967

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop