Open AccessFerritin mRNAs in Schistosoma Mansoni do not have Iron‐Responsive Elements for Post‐Transcriptional Regulation
Author(s) -
Schüssler Peter,
Pötters Elke,
Winnen Ralf,
Michel Anja,
Bottke Werner,
Kunz Werner
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
european journal of biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1432-1033
pISSN - 0014-2956
DOI - 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1996.0064t.x
Subject(s) - ferritin , untranslated region , schistosoma mansoni , biology , messenger rna , gene isoform , microbiology and biotechnology , cytoplasm , yolk , gene expression , gene , biochemistry , immunology , schistosomiasis , ecology , helminths
Schistosoma mansoni possesses two isoforms of ferritin, soma and yolk ferritin. The soma ferritin occurs at a low level in most cells of both genders, whereas the yolk ferritin is a female‐specific gene product that is expressed at high level in the vitellarium. In higher animals, ferritin mRNA is regulated by iron via the interaction of cytoplasmic binding proteins (IRPs) with a specific sequence element in the 5′ untranslated region (UTR) referred to as the iron‐responsive element (IRE). Sequence studies of the 5′ UTRs, gel retardation assays, and hybridization experiments show that neither ferritin mRNAs of S. mansoni is regulated by an IRE/IRP mechanism. It is suggested that ferritins in schistosomes are controlled only at the transcriptional level.