TRYPANOSOMA-BRUCEI-BRUCEI - CHARACTERIZATION OF AN ODC NULL BLOOD-STREAM FORM MUTANT AND THE ACTION OF ALPHA-DIFLUOROMETHYLORNITHINE

Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is a key enzyme in the polyamine synthes is pathway in African trypanosomes. We report here the characterizatio n of an ODC null bloodstream form Trypanosoma brucei brucei mutant, cr eated by replacing the ODC gene with antibiotic resistant marker genes through transfection and homologous recombination. The null mutant ex presses no ODC mRNA or protein and does not have ODC enzymatic activit y. We tested the attenuation of the bloodstream form ODC- mutants in m ice, and showed that these mutants cannot multiply and are quickly cle ared from the blood. We also tested the effect of DFMO on this ODC nul l mutant. (C) 1998 Academic Press.