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The RNA Interference Pathway in Trypanosoma brucei

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RNA Metabolism in Trypanosomes

Part of the book series: Nucleic Acids and Molecular Biology ((NUCLEIC,volume 28))

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Abstract

In most eukaryotic cells, expression or delivery of long double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) signals the presence of foreign and/or potentially dangerous nucleic acids, such as viruses or transcripts derived from retroposons and transposons. As a consequence cells go on red alert and activate specific defense mechanisms to eliminate the invaders. Among such mechanisms is the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway, which is triggered by long dsRNAs, destroys target transcripts in a sequence-specific manner, and is widespread throughout eukaryotic evolution. Here we summarize our current understanding of the RNAi mechanism in Trypanosoma brucei, a protozoan parasite and early divergent eukaryote, and highlight similarities and differences with the RNAi machinery and its function in higher eukaryotes.

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Note added in proof

Our laboratory recently reported the characterization of two novel and essential RNAi factors, namely TbRIF4, a 3′–5′ exonuclease of the DnaQ superfamily with a critical role in the conversion of duplex siRNAs to the single-stranded form, and TbRIF5, a possible TbDCL1 cofactor (Barnes et al. 2012).

Acknowledgments  Research in the author’s laboratory was supported by Public Health Service grants AI28798 and AI56333 to E.U and AI43594 to C.T.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06536-0812, USA

    Elisabetta Ullu & Rebecca L. Barnes

  2. Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06536-0812, USA

    Elisabetta Ullu

  3. Division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale University School of Public Health, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06536-0812, USA

    Nikolay G. Kolev & Christian Tschudi

Authors
  1. Elisabetta Ullu
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  2. Nikolay G. Kolev
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  3. Rebecca L. Barnes
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  4. Christian Tschudi
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Correspondence to Elisabetta Ullu .

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  1. , Department of Biology and Chemistry, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58, Giessen, 35392, Germany

    Albrecht Bindereif

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Ullu, E., Kolev, N.G., Barnes, R.L., Tschudi, C. (2012). The RNA Interference Pathway in Trypanosoma brucei . In: Bindereif, A. (eds) RNA Metabolism in Trypanosomes. Nucleic Acids and Molecular Biology, vol 28. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28687-2_8

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