The Dynamics of Replication in Trypanosoma cruzi Parasites by Single-Molecule Analysis

Abstract

Here, we investigated the features of replication inTrypanosoma cruziepi-mastigotes based on fork speed progression, which is influenced by distinctfeatures such as DNA polymerase rate, susceptibility to DNA damage andrepair, secondary structures, transcription and chromatin state. AlthoughT. cruziexhibits a mean fork speed (2.050.10 kb/min) very similar to othertrypanosomatids, we found that the majority of DNA molecules replicatedmore slowly, with a frequency distribution approximately 1 kb/min. This fre-quency distribution analysis provides more information about the replicationprofile of this organism.