TY - JOUR
T1 - Antigenic variation in trypanosomes
AU - Borst, P.
AU - Rudenko, G.
AU - Taylor, M. C.
AU - Blundell, P. A.
AU - van Leeuwen, F.
AU - Bitter, W.
AU - Cross, M.
AU - McCulloch, R.
PY - 1996
Y1 - 1996
N2 - We review here antigenic variation in African trypanosomes with emphasis on genetic mechanisms and on the expression sites in which the genes for Variant Surface Glycoproteins (VSGs) are expressed. There are multiple expression sites in a trypanosome, but only one of these is active at a time. We discuss recent experiments that provide new information on expression site regulation, i.e., how inactive sites are kept inactive and how the trypanosome switches from expression of one site to expression of another one. Trypanosomes can also change the gene expressed by replacing the gene in an active expression site by another VSG gene. This replacement involves the duplicative transposition of a silent VSG gene into the expression site. We present a model for the mechanism of this transposition that incorporates new features and that explains several unusual characteristics of the transposition process. We also discuss how new knowledge of nutrient uptake, notably uptake of host transferrin by trypanosomes, might be used for vaccine development.
AB - We review here antigenic variation in African trypanosomes with emphasis on genetic mechanisms and on the expression sites in which the genes for Variant Surface Glycoproteins (VSGs) are expressed. There are multiple expression sites in a trypanosome, but only one of these is active at a time. We discuss recent experiments that provide new information on expression site regulation, i.e., how inactive sites are kept inactive and how the trypanosome switches from expression of one site to expression of another one. Trypanosomes can also change the gene expressed by replacing the gene in an active expression site by another VSG gene. This replacement involves the duplicative transposition of a silent VSG gene into the expression site. We present a model for the mechanism of this transposition that incorporates new features and that explains several unusual characteristics of the transposition process. We also discuss how new knowledge of nutrient uptake, notably uptake of host transferrin by trypanosomes, might be used for vaccine development.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=0029791032&origin=inward
UR - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8854399
M3 - Article
C2 - 8854399
SN - 0188-0128
VL - 27
SP - 379
EP - 388
JO - Archives of medical research
JF - Archives of medical research
IS - 3
ER -