A survey of the Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense genome using shotgun sequencing

TitleA survey of the Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense genome using shotgun sequencing
Publication TypeJournal Articles
Year of Publication1997
AuthorsEl‐Sayed NM, Donelson JE
JournalMolecular and Biochemical ParasitologyMolecular and Biochemical Parasitology
Volume84
Type of Article16/S0166-6851(96)02792-2
ISBN Number0166-6851
KeywordsExpressed sequence tag, Genome survey sequence, Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense
Abstract

A comparison of the efficiency of sequencing random genomic DNA fragments versus random cDNAs for the discovery of new genes in African trypanosomes was undertaken. Trypanosome DNA was sheared to a 1.5-2.5 kb size distribution, cloned into a plasmid and the sequences at both ends of 183 cloned fragments determined. Sequences of both kinetoplast and nuclear DNA were identified. New coding regions were discovered for a variety of proteins, including cell division proteins, an RNA-binding protein and a homologue of the Leishmania surface protease GP63. In some cases, each end of a fragment was found to contain a different gene, demonstrating the proximity of those genes and suggesting that the density of genes in the African trypanosome genome is quite high. Repetitive sequence elements found included telomeric hexamer repeats, 76 bp repeats associated with VSG gene expression sites, 177 bp satellite repeats in minichromosomes and the Ingi transposon-like elements. In contrast to cDNA sequencing, no ribosomal protein genes were detected. For the sake of comparison, the sequences of 190 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were also determined, and a similar number of new trypanosomal homologues were found including homologues of another putative surface protein and a human leucine-rich repeat-containing protein. We conclude from this analysis and our previous work that sequencing random DNA fragments in African trypanosomes is as efficient for gene discovery as is sequencing random cDNA clones.