TY - JOUR T1 - Gene synteny and evolution of genome architecture in trypanosomatids. JF - Mol Biochem Parasitol Y1 - 2004 A1 - Ghedin, Elodie A1 - Bringaud, Frederic A1 - Peterson, Jeremy A1 - Myler, Peter A1 - Berriman, Matthew A1 - Ivens, Alasdair A1 - Andersson, Björn A1 - Bontempi, Esteban A1 - Eisen, Jonathan A1 - Angiuoli, Sam A1 - Wanless, David A1 - Von Arx, Anna A1 - Murphy, Lee A1 - Lennard, Nicola A1 - Salzberg, Steven A1 - Adams, Mark D A1 - White, Owen A1 - Hall, Neil A1 - Stuart, Kenneth A1 - Fraser, Claire M A1 - el-Sayed, Najib M A KW - Animals KW - Computational Biology KW - Evolution, Molecular KW - Gene Order KW - Genome, Protozoan KW - Genomics KW - Leishmania major KW - Multigene Family KW - Recombination, Genetic KW - Retroelements KW - Selection, Genetic KW - Synteny KW - Trypanosoma brucei brucei KW - Trypanosoma cruzi KW - Trypanosomatina AB -

The trypanosomatid protozoa Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania major are related human pathogens that cause markedly distinct diseases. Using information from genome sequencing projects currently underway, we have compared the sequences of large chromosomal fragments from each species. Despite high levels of divergence at the sequence level, these three species exhibit a striking conservation of gene order, suggesting that selection has maintained gene order among the trypanosomatids over hundreds of millions of years of evolution. The few sites of genome rearrangement between these species are marked by the presence of retrotransposon-like elements, suggesting that retrotransposons may have played an important role in shaping trypanosomatid genome organization. A degenerate retroelement was identified in L. major by examining the regions near breakage points of the synteny. This is the first such element found in L. major suggesting that retroelements were found in the common ancestor of all three species.

VL - 134 CP - 2 M3 - 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2003.11.012 ER -