MOLECULAR COMPARISON OF THE MITOCHONDRIAL AND CYTOPLASMIC HSP70 OF TRYPANOSOMA-CRUZI, TRYPANOSOMA-BRUCEI AND LEISHMANIA-MAJOR

We compared the expression and localization of the mitochondrial and c ytoplasmic hsp70 of the protozoans Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma bruc ei and Leishmania major. The mitochondrial protein is encoded by multi ple mRNA in all species, while the cytoplasmic protein is encoded by a single mRNA. In all three species, the mitochondrial hsp70 is concent rated in the kinetoplast, a submitochondrial structure that houses the unusual DNA (kDNA) that characterizes this group of organisms, while the cytoplasmic protein is distributed throughout the cell. These resu lts suggest that, in all kinetoplastid species, mt-hsp70 has a specifi c function in kDNA biology, possibly in the processes of kDNA replicat ion, RNA editing or kinetoplast structure.