Trypanosoma vivax Y486 bloodstream stage RNAseq. Trypanosoma vivax Y486 bloodstream stage RNAseq

Trypanosoma vivax is a vector-borne blood parasite of cattle throughout sub-saharan Africa. For some years the genome sequence of this organism has been in development at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and is shortly to be completed. Analysis of the genome has revealed various putative genes encoding unknown proteins. In an effort to validate these features we will sequence mRNA transcripts from the bloodstream stage of the genome strain Y486. Most of the novel gene families identified from the genome sequence are too diverse to be validated individually, i.e. through RT-PCR, so it is necessary to sequence all cellular transcripts. We hope to confirm the transcription of one or all members of the novel gene families from the resulting transcriptome. While essential for the scientific rigour of the present genome project, this transcriptome will also provide an additional resource for the longer-term benefit of the research community.