Curation of the Plasmodium falciparum genome.

The malaria genome has proved invaluable to researchers worldwide in the continuing fight against malaria by stimulating and underpinning molecular approaches in gene expression studies, vaccine and drug discovery research, and by providing data to facilitate hypothesis-driven research. The combination of in silico and experimental investigations has already yielded dividends by strengthening our understanding of the many facets of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. The recently initiated curation of the genome resource is a vital investment for maintaining and enhancing the use of this genomic information in the post-genomic era.

Evolution of the aldose reductase-related gecko eye lens protein rhoB-crystallin: a sheep in wolf's clothing.

rhoB-crystallin (AJ245805) is a major protein component (20%) in the eye lens of the gecko Lepidodactylus lugubris. Limited peptide sequence analysis earlier revealed that it belongs to the aldo-keto reductase superfamily, as does the frog lens rho-crystallin. We have now determined the complete cDNA sequence of rhoB-crystallin and established that it is more closely related to the aldose reductase branch of the superfamily than to frog rho-crystallin.

Genealogy of the alpha-crystallin--small heat-shock protein superfamily.

Sequences of 40 very diverse representatives of the alpha-crystallin-small heat-shock protein (alpha-Hsp) superfamily are compared. Their characteristic C-terminal 'alpha-crystallin domain' of 80-100 residues contains short consensus sequences that are highly conserved from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. There are, in addition, some positions that clearly distinguish animal from non-animal alpha-Hsps.

alpha-Crystallin sequences support a galliform/anseriform clade.

An unresolved issue in higher avian systematics is the position of the fowl-like and the duck-like birds, Galliformes and Anseriformes, respectively. Most studies place these orders at the base of the neognath radiation. While DNA hybridization data support a sister-group relationship of Galliformes and Anseriformes, macromolecular sequence analyses have not yet been able to provide a clear-cut answer.

Protein sequences indicate that turtles branched off from the amniote tree after mammals.

The phylogenetic relationships among the major groups of amniote vertebrates remain a matter of controversy. Various alternatives for the position of the turtles have been proposed, branching off either before or after the mammals. To discover the phylogenetic position of turtles in relation to mammals and birds, we have determined cDNA sequences for the eye lens proteins alpha A- and alpha B-crystallin of the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans).

Phylogenetic relationships of the hoatzin, an enigmatic South American bird.

The hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) lives in the humid lowlands of northern and central South America, often in riparian habitats. It is a slender bird approximately 65 cm in length, brownish with lighter streaks and buffy tips to the long tail feathers. The small head has a ragged, bristly crest of reddish-brown feathers, and the bare skin of the face is bright blue.

The expanding small heat-shock protein family, and structure predictions of the conserved "alpha-crystallin domain".

The ever-increasing number of proteins identified as belonging to the family of small heat-shock proteins (shsps) and alpha-crystallins enables us to reassess the phylogeny of this ubiquitous protein family. While the prokaryotic and fungal representatives are not properly resolved, most of the plant and animal shsps and related proteins are clearly grouped in distinct clades, reflecting a history of repeated gene duplications. The members of the shsp family are characterized by the presence of a conserved homologous "alpha-crystallin domain," which sometimes is present in duplicate.