D. Mattei et A. Scherf, SUBTELOMERIC CHROMOSOME INSTABILITY IN PLASMODIUM-FALCIPARUM - SHORT TELOMERE-LIKE SEQUENCE MOTIFS FOUND FREQUENTLY AT HEALED CHROMOSOME BREAKPOINTS, MUTATION RESEARCH, 324(3), 1994, pp. 115-120
The stability of chromosome ends of the human malaria parasite P. falc
iparum was analysed using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay that
detects potential chromosome breaks that have been healed by the addi
tion of telomere repeats. The data show that the Pf332 and Pf87 genes
located in subtelomeric positions of chromosomes 3 and 11, respectivel
y, represent fragile sites. Breakpoints were observed in different reg
ions of these genes. In the broken genes, the DNA sequences preceding
the telomere addition sites generally have complementarity to the pred
icted RNA template of a P. falciparum telomerase ribonucleoprotein enz
yme complex. We propose a model for the creation of new telomeres in P
. falciparum adjacent to broken ends containing short telomere-like se
quence motifs.