RNA editing

RNA-dependent RNA polymerase

Ribosomal RNA

Biology

Guide RNA

Gene

Genome editing

Kinetoplast

Trypanosoma brucei

Computational biology

Cell biology

CRISPR

Genetics

Trends in Parasitology

Trypanosoma brucei spp. cause African human and animal trypanosomiasis, a burden on health and economy in Africa. These hemoflagellates are distinguished by a kinetoplast nucleoid containing mitochondrial DNAs of two kinds: maxicircles encoding ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) and proteins and minicircles bearing guide RNAs (gRNAs) for mRNA editing. All RNAs are produced by a phage-type RNA polymerase as 3′ extended precursors, which undergo exonucleolytic trimming. Most pre-mRNAs proceed through 3′ adenylation, uridine insertion/deletion editing, and 3′ A/U-tailing.

Lexis and Grammar of Mitochondrial RNA Processing in Trypanosomes