Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Illuminating the mechanism of monogenic antigen expression in trypanosomes

  • Under the Lens
  • Published:

From Nature Reviews Microbiology

View current issue Sign up to alerts

This month’s Under the Lens discusses how recent advances in understanding the spatial integration of transcription and splicing sites have shed light on the mechanism that ensures monogenic antigen expression in trypanosomes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Horn, D. Antigenic variation in African trypanosomes. Mol. Biochem. Parasitol. 195, 123–129 (2014).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Navarro, M. & Gull, K. A pol I transcriptional body associated with VSG mono-allelic expression in Trypanosoma brucei. Nature 414, 759–763 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Faria, J. et al. Spatial integration of transcription and splicing in a dedicated compartment sustains monogenic antigen expression in African trypanosomes. Nat. Microbiol. 6, 289–300 (2021).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Kassem, A., Pays, E. & Vanhamme, L. Transcription is initiated on silent variant surface glycoprotein expression sites despite monoallelic expression in Trypanosoma brucei. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 111, 8943–8948 (2014).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Escobar, L. L. et al. Monoallelic antigen expression in trypanosomes requires a stage-specific transcription activator. Preprint at bioRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.05.06.442931 (2021).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Patryk Ludzia & Bungo Akiyoshi

Authors
  1. Patryk Ludzia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Bungo Akiyoshi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Patryk Ludzia or Bungo Akiyoshi.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ludzia, P., Akiyoshi, B. Illuminating the mechanism of monogenic antigen expression in trypanosomes. Nat Rev Microbiol 19, 746 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-021-00641-5

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-021-00641-5

  • Springer Nature Limited

Search

Navigation