A pseudouridylation switch in rRNA controls ribosome function during the life cycle of Trypanosoma brucei

The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei, which causes devastating diseases in humans and animals in sub-Saharan Africa, undergoes a complex life cycle between the mammalian host and the blood-feeding tsetse fly vector. Despite years of study, little is known about how the parasite performs most molecular functions in such different environments. Here, we found support for the intriguing possibility that pseudouridylation of rRNA plays an important role in the capacity of the parasite to transit between the insect midgut and the mammalian bloodstream. Briefly, we mapped pseudouridines (?) on rRNA by ?-seq in procyclic form (PCF) and bloodstream form (BSF) trypanosomes.