CLONING AND SEQUENCE-ANALYSIS OF THE TCP2-BETA CDNA VARIANTS OF TRYPANOSOMA-CRUZI

P2 beta acidic ribosomal protein is a relevant antigen in Chagas' dise ase. cDNA cloning demonstrated that Trypanosoma cruzi expresses at lea st six types of TcP2 beta transcripts that differed by point nucleotid es substitutions. The distribution and type of mutations seemed to fol low the typical structural organization of eukaryotic acidic ribosomal proteins. Most of the synonymous changes clustered in the amino-termi nus, suggesting that conservation of this domain was crucial for an eq uivalent functional ability of each TcP2 beta variant to bind to the r ibosome. Interestingly, most amino acid changes in the central-globula r and hinge domains caused polymorphism in putative phosphorylatable s ites.