Prof. Christine Clayton mRNA turnover in trypanosomes

African Trypanosomes are unicellular eukaryotic parasites. Trypanosomiasis in cattle is a major contributor to malnutrition and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, and trypanosomes and related parasites cause serious diseases of humans throughout the tropics. The focus of our research is the degradation of messenger RNA. It is now known that mRNA degradation is critical in controlling gene expression in all organisms: for example, in mammals abnormalities in mRNA degradation can cause autoimmune disease and cancer. Trypanosomes are however unique in relying almost exclusively on degradation to control mRNA levels, which makes them an excellent model system to study both the enzymes that digest mRNA, and proteins that bind to specific mRNAs and control the rate of degradation. Similarities in mRNA degradation between trypanosomes and human cells are also studied in collaboration with the Stoecklin lab.

Detailed information on the project can be found at
www.zmbh.uni-heidelberg.de/Clayton/default.shtml