Key result
A 43-nt U-rich RNA element in the 3'-UTR of Trypanosoma cruzi transcripts interacts with the RNA-binding protein TcUBP1 and is important for mRNA abundance in the intracellular amastigote stage.
A 43-nt U-rich element in the 3'-UTR of T. cruzi transcripts regulates mRNA abundance in the amastigote stage via interaction with the RNA-binding protein TcUBP1.
No immediate clinical implications for Chagas disease; leaves open whether TcUBP1 targeting alters parasite persistence in vivo.
Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas disease, does not seem to control gene expression through regulation of transcription initiation and makes use of post-transcriptional mechanisms. We report here a 43-nt U-rich RNA element located in the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of a large number of T. cruzi mRNAs that is important for mRNA abundance in the intracellular amastigote stage of the parasite. Whole genome scan analysis, differential display RT-PCR, Northern blot, and RT-PCR analyses were used to determine the transcript levels of more than 900 U-rich-containing mRNAs of large gene families as well as single and low copy number genes. Our results indicate that the 43-nt U-rich mRNA element is preferentially present in amastigotes. The cis-element of a protein kinase 3'-UTR but not its mutated version promoted the expression of the green fluorescent protein reporter gene in amastigotes. The regulatory cis-element, but not its mutated version, was also shown to interact with the trypanosome-specific RNA-binding protein (RBP) TcUBP1 but not with other related RBPs. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments of TcUBP1-containing ribonucleoprotein complexes formed in vivo validated the interaction with representative endogenous RNAs having the element. These results suggest that this 43-nt U-rich element together with other yet unidentified sequences might be involved in the modulation of abundance and/or translation of subsets of transcripts in the amastigote stage.
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Li et al. (2012) studied Chagas disease (Trypanosoma cruzi infection). 43-nt U-rich RNA element in 3'-UTR vs. Mutated version of the cis-element was evaluated on mRNA abundance and interaction with TcUBP1 in intracellular amastigotes. A 43-nt U-rich RNA element in the 3'-UTR of Trypanosoma cruzi transcripts interacts with the RNA-binding protein TcUBP1 and is important for mRNA abundance in the intracellular amastigote stage.
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