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Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme genes in Oesophagostomum dentatum

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Abstract

Full-length genes representing different isoforms of the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UBC-2 were isolated from Oesophagostomum dentatum, cloned and sequenced. The alignment of their sequences (designated Od-ubc-2.1 to Od-ubc-2.3) revealed nucleotide variation at three positions within the predicted open reading frame of 444 bp. Substitutions were at positions 141 (A↔G), 142 (A↔G) and 296 (T↔C). Both former substitutions resulted in amino acid changes from a glycine residue to an arginine residue, whereas the latter resulted in a change from isoleucine to threonine. Comparison of predicted OD-UBC-2 with UBC-2 (protein) homologues/orthologues from 12 other species representing nematodes, Drosophila melanogaster, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mice and humans revealed identities between species varying from 77 to 100% at the amino acid level, and motifs associated with protein conformation and function were identified. While the function of a representative ubc-2 gene from O. dentatum could not be established in C. elegans, it is likely to play a key role in the catabolism of proteins and in the development of O. dentatum.

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Acknowledgements

The authors sincerely thank Professor Anja Joachim (University of Veterinary Medicine) and Niels-Peter Hansen (Danish Centre of Experimental Parasitology) for producing O. dentatum and for support. Mark Pellegrino is thanked for his assistance with gene silencing experiments in C. elegans. P.A.C. was the recipient of a scholarship from The University of Melbourne. This study was supported by grants from the Australian Research Council (Linkage Project IDs LP0346983 and LP0667795), Genetic Technologies Limited and Meat and Livestock Australia (project AHW.022). Experiments described in this paper have been performed in accordance to the laws and regulations of Australia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, 250 Princes Highway, Werribee, Victoria, 3030, Australia

    Pauline A. Cottee, Youssef G. Abs EL-Osta & Robin B. Gasser

  2. Parasitology Division, Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Midlothian, Scotland, EH26 OPZ, UK

    Alasdair J. Nisbet

Authors
  1. Pauline A. Cottee
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  2. Youssef G. Abs EL-Osta
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  3. Alasdair J. Nisbet
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  4. Robin B. Gasser
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robin B. Gasser.

Additional information

The nucleotide sequences reported in this article have been deposited in the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, GenBank and DDJB databases under accession numbers AM181593-AM1181595.

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Cottee, P.A., Abs EL-Osta, Y.G., Nisbet, A.J. et al. Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme genes in Oesophagostomum dentatum . Parasitol Res 99, 119–125 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-005-0111-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-005-0111-x

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