The Genome of the African Trypanosome Trypanosoma brucei

• DOI: 10.1126/science.1112642
• Publication Date: 2005-07-14T22:03:51Z
• Authors: Matthew Berriman; Elodie Ghedin; Christiane Hertz-...; Gaëlle Blandin; Hubert Renauld; Daniella C. Barth...; Nicola J. Lennard; Elisabet Caler; Nancy E. Hamlin; Brian Haas; Ulrike Böhme; Linda Hannick; Martin A. Aslett; Joshua Shallom; Lucio Marcello; Lihua Hou; Bill Wickstead; U. Cecilia M. Als...; Claire Arrowsmith; Rebecca J. Atkin; Andrew J. Barron; Frederic Bringaud; Karen Brooks; Mark Carrington; Inna Cherevach; Tracey-Jane Chill...; Carol Churcher; Louise N. Clark; Craig H. Corton; Ann Cronin; Rob M. Davies; Jonathon Doggett; Appolinaire Djikeng; Tamara Feldblyum; Mark C. Field; Audrey Fraser; Ian Goodhead; Zahra Hance; David Harper; Barbara R. Harris; Heidi Hauser; Jessica Hostetler; Al Ivens; Kay Jagels; David Johnson; Justin Johnson; Kristine Jones; Arnaud X. Kerhornou; Hean Koo; Natasha Larke; Scott Landfear; Christopher Larkin; Vanessa Leech; Alexandra Line; Angela Lord; Annette MacLeod; Paul J. Mooney; Sharon Moule; David M. A. Martin; Gareth W. Morgan; Karen Mungall; Halina Norbertczak; Doug Ormond; Grace Pai; Chris S. Peacock; Jeremy Peterson; Michael A. Quail; Ester Rabbinowitsch; Marie-Adele Rajan...; Chris Reitter; Steven L. Salzberg; Mandy Sanders; Seth Schobel; Sarah Sharp; Mark Simmonds; Anjana J. Simpson; Luke Tallon; C. Michael R. Turner; Andrew Tait; Adrian R. Tivey; Susan Van Aken; Danielle Walker; David Wanless; Shiliang Wang; Brian White; Owen White; Sally Whitehead; John Woodward; Jennifer Wortman; Mark D. Adams; T. Martin Embley; Keith Gull; Elisabetta Ullu; J. David Barry; Alan H. Fairlamb; Fred Opperdoes; Barclay G. Barrell; John E. Donelson; Neil Hall; Claire M. Fraser; Sara E. Melville; Najib M. El-Sayed
• Keywords: Pseudogene; Subtelomere

African trypanosomes cause human sleeping sickness and livestock trypanosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa. We present the sequence analysis of 11 megabase-sized chromosomes Trypanosoma brucei. The 26-megabase genome contains 9068 predicted genes, including approximately 900 pseudogenes 1700 T. brucei-specific genes. Large subtelomeric arrays contain an archive 806 variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) genes used by parasite to evade mammalian immune system. Most VSG are pseudogenes, which may be generate expressed mosaic ectopic recombination. Comparisons cytoskeleton endocytic trafficking systems with those humans other eukaryotic organisms reveal major differences. A comparison metabolic pathways encoded genomes brucei, cruzi, Leishmania reveals least overall capability brucei greatest L. major. Horizontal transfer bacterial origin has contributed some differences these parasites, a number novel potential drug targets have been identified.