Nontranslated polyadenylated ribonucleic acids from the protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica

Abstract

Protozoan parasites display a range of unusual molecular mechanisms that may be helpful for their survival in nature. Among these parasites Entamoeba histolytica, the causative agent of amoebiasis, is one of the most prevalent in developing countries like India. E. histolytica transcribes at least four different unusual transcripts, IE, Tr, ehapt2 and UEE1, that are polyadenylated but do not have extensive open reading frames and are unlikely to code for anything other than small peptides. In this review we describe the current status of our understanding about these transcripts.