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The genetic system of kinetoplasts in trypanosomatides

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Summary

In the present report, the genetic system ofCrithidia oncopelti kinetoplast is used as a model for investigation of kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) structure, its transcription, protein synthesizing apparatus of the kinetoplast and the protein synthesis controlled genetically by kDNA. It was shown that kDNA ofC. oncopelti can be isolated from cells or from kinetoplast fraction in the form of a network complex structure consisting of a lot of circular molecules. These minicircles have a contour length of about 0.83µm and molecular weight of 1.6 × 106.

The kDNA was demonstrated to be of higher AT content type than nuclear DNA. Besides, kDNA is characterized by a lesser degree of clustering of pyrimidines as compared with the nuclear one. The isolated kinetoplasts ofC. oncopelti were shown to exhibit activity of DNA dependent RNA polymerase. The effect of some antibiotics and intercalating substances on RNA synthesis in kinetoplasts and mitochondria appears to be identical.

Kinetoplasts ofC. oncopelti have their own protein synthesizing system, whose components (ribosomes, rRNA, proteins, factors of incorporation) differ from those of the cytoplasm. Inhibition of translation by some antibiotics and of transcription by acriflavin allowed the suggestion that several proteins of kinetoplast ribosomes may be synthesized within this organoid. It was shown then that kDNA may be involved in the formation of the protein synthesizing apparatus in the kinetoplast.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biological Department, Moscow State University, Moscow, USSR

    G. N. Zaitseva, A. A. Kolesnikov & A. T. Shirshov

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  1. G. N. Zaitseva
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  2. A. A. Kolesnikov
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  3. A. T. Shirshov
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Zaitseva, G.N., Kolesnikov, A.A. & Shirshov, A.T. The genetic system of kinetoplasts in trypanosomatides. Mol Cell Biochem 14, 47–54 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01734164

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