Open AccessExpression of biopterin transporter (BT1) protein in Leishmania
Author(s) -
Dole Vandana S,
Myler Peter J,
Stuart Kenneth D,
Madhubala Rentala
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2002.tb11065.x
Subject(s) - biology , mutant , leishmania donovani , microbiology and biotechnology , leishmania , leishmania mexicana , amastigote , gene , locus (genetics) , gene expression , recombinant dna , biochemistry , parasite hosting , genetics , leishmaniasis , visceral leishmaniasis , world wide web , computer science
The present work focuses on the growth phase regulated expression of biopterin transporter gene ( BT1 ) from the LD1 locus on chromosome 35 of Leishmania donovani . Antiserum against recombinant BT1 detected a polypeptide of 45 kDa of equal intensity at lag, log and stationary phases of promastigote growth, both in L. donovani strain LSB‐7.1 (MHOM/BL/67/ITMAP263), and strain LSB‐146.1 (HOM/IR/95/X81), a natural isolate from Isfehan, Iran that caused cutaneous leishmaniasis. However, in both these strains an additional polypeptide of higher molecular mass (50 kDa) was also observed during lag phase only. In addition, polypeptides of 40, 20, 18 and 16 kDa were seen only during the lag and log phases of both strains. Analysis of L. donovani single, double and triple (null) BT1 knockout mutants confirmed that the 45‐kDa polypeptide was the BT1 gene product, as it was absent in the null mutant. These results indicate that 45‐kDa BT1 protein in Leishmania is consistently and constitutively expressed in all the growth stages of the parasite.