par Vanhamme, Luc 
;Lecordier, Laurence ;Pays, Etienne
Référence International Journal for Parasitology, 31, 5-6, page (523-531)
Publication Publié, 2001-05
;Lecordier, Laurence ;Pays, Etienne Référence International Journal for Parasitology, 31, 5-6, page (523-531)
Publication Publié, 2001-05
Article révisé par les pairs
| Résumé : | African trypanosomes escape the host immune response through a periodical change of their surface coat made of one major type of protein, the variant surface glycoprotein. From a repertoire of a thousand variant surface glycoprotein genes available, only one is expressed at a time, and this takes place in a specialised expression site itself selected from a collection of an estimated 20-30 sites. As the specialised expression sites are long polycistronic transcription units, the variant surface glycoprotein is co-transcribed with several other genes termed expression site-associated genes. How do the trypanosomes only use a single specialised expression site at a time? Why are there two dozen specialised expression sites? What are the functions of the other genes of these transcription units? We review the currently available answers to these questions. |
