Editing and modification in trypanosomatids: the reshaping of non-coding RNAs

Abstract

Trypanosomatids include a number of protozoan parasites that infect over 27 million people worldwide. Besides their medical importance, these organisms have also provided a wealth of novel biological discoveries including: RNA editing, mRNA trans-splicing, eukaryotic poly-cistronic transcription, and a mechanism for large-scale mitochondrial tRNA import. For many years, the study of RNA post-transcriptional modification in trypanosomatids has lagged behind when compared to bacterial, yeast, and animal systems. However, the discovery of editing in tRNA and 7SL RNAs has produced renewed interest in the processing of non-coding RNAs in these organisms. This chapter will compile what is currently known about RNA editing and modification in trypanosomatids, emphasizing the role these processes play in the structural reshaping of non-coding RNAs. Due to a number of substantive recent reviews, mRNA editing will not be the subject of this chapter. In addition, snoRNA-mediated modification of ribosomal RNAs will be covered in chapter 8 of this book.