Small nucleolar RNAs that guide modification in trypanosomatids: repertoire, targets, genome organisation, and unique functions

Small nucleolar RNAs constitute a family of newly discovered non-coding small RNAs, most of which function in guiding RNA modifications. Two prevalent types of modifications are 2′- O-methylation and pseudouridylation. The modification is directed by the formation of a canonical small nucleolar RNA-...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International Journal for Parasitology 2004-03, Vol.34 (4), p.445-454
Main Authors: Uliel, Shai, Liang, Xue-hai, Unger, Ron, Michaeli, Shulamit
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Archaea
Biological and medical sciences
C/D snoRNA
Conserved Sequence
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects
General aspects and techniques
General aspects and techniques. Study of several systematic groups. Models
Genes, Protozoan
Genome, Protozoan
H/ACA snoRNA
Invertebrates
Leishmania
Leptomonas
Protozoa
RNA modification
RNA, Small Nucleolar
Small nucleolar RNAs
Transcription, Genetic
Trypanosoma
Trypanosoma - genetics
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Summary:Small nucleolar RNAs constitute a family of newly discovered non-coding small RNAs, most of which function in guiding RNA modifications. Two prevalent types of modifications are 2′- O-methylation and pseudouridylation. The modification is directed by the formation of a canonical small nucleolar RNA-target duplex. Initially, RNA-guided modification was shown to take place on rRNA, but recent studies suggest that small nuclear RNA, mRNA, tRNA, and the trypanosome spliced leader RNA also undergo guided modifications. Trypanosomes contain more modifications and potentially more small nucleolar RNAs than yeast, and the increased number of modifications may help to preserve ribosome function under adverse environmental conditions during the cycling between the insect and mammalian host. The genome organisation in clusters carrying the two types of small nucleolar RNAs, C/D and H/ACA-like RNAs, resembles that in plants. However, the trypanosomatid H/ACA RNAs are similar to those found in Archaea and are composed of a single hairpin that may represent the primordial H/ACA RNA. In this review we summarise this new field of trypanosome small nucleolar RNAs, emphasising the open questions regarding the number of small nucleolar RNAs, the repertoire, genome organisation, and the unique function of guided modifications in these protozoan parasites.
ISSN:0020-7519
1879-0135
DOI:10.1016/j.ijpara.2003.10.014