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It turns out that pseudouridine plays an important role in stabilizing the ribosome at elevated temperatures. This allows the trypanosome to withstand the difference in body temperature between the tsetse fly (26 degrees Celsius) and human (37 degrees Celsius). The set of chemical modifications changes during transmission, which helps the parasite function in two different hosts.
It has been shown that removal of just one pseudouridine from the ribosome results in the loss of structural protein in the ribosome, thereby impairing the functioning of the organelle. Thus, in the future, it may be possible to create RNA-based drugs that specifically damage the parasite ribosome, halting disease progression.
