Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shuang Li, Jing Liu, Heng Zhang, Zhepeng Sun, Zhu Ying, Yihan Wu, Jianhai Xu, Qun Liu
Summary: This study identified three GST proteins in Toxoplasma gondii, with GST2 playing a critical role in vesicle trafficking by localizing to the Golgi-endosomal system. Loss of TgGST2 led to incorrect localization and decreased expression of several secretory proteins, resulting in reduced invasion capacity and virulence to mice. The findings suggest that TgGST2 contributes to vesicle transport and plays a essential role in the parasite lytic cycle.
Review
Cell Biology
Petia Adarska, Luis Wong-Dilworth, Francesca Bottanelli
Summary: Molecular switches of the ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF) GTPase family play crucial roles in coordinating intracellular trafficking, including membrane deformation, cargo sorting, and recruitment of downstream coat proteins and effectors.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Clem Marsilia, Mrinalini Batra, Irina D. Pokrovskaya, Changqi Wang, Dale Chaput, Daria A. Naumova, Vladimir V. Lupashin, Elena S. Suvorova
Summary: This study reveals the expanded function of the conservative Golgi tethering COG complex in T. gondii and identifies additional regulators of transport specific to the parasite, providing insights into the parasite's secretory organelles.
Review
Biology
Olivia L. McGovern, Yolanda Rivera-Cuevas, Vern B. Carruthers
Summary: Research on endocytosis in protozoan parasites, including malaria parasites and Toxoplasma gondii, is still in early stages. Malaria parasites acquire nutrients by internalizing hemoglobin from infected red blood cells, while the active endocytic system of Toxoplasma gondii was recently discovered. Future studies will help uncover the molecular basis and biological significance of endocytosis in Toxoplasma gondii.
Article
Microbiology
L. Brock Thornton, Melanie Key, Chiara Micchelli, Andrew J. Stasic, Samuel Kwain, Katherine Floyd, Silvia N. J. Moreno, Brian N. Dominy, Daniel C. Whitehead, Zhicheng Dou
Summary: Microbial pathogens, such as Toxoplasma gondii, use proteases to digest proteins for nutrients and activate virulence factors. In this study, researchers discovered that a cathepsin C-like protease (TgCPC1) is involved in the final processing of micronemal invasion effectors, which are critical for Toxoplasma invasion and egress. The deletion of TgCPC1 results in defects in invasion, egress, and migration throughout the parasite's lytic cycle. This finding expands our understanding of the roles of cathepsin C protease in microbial pathogens.
Article
Plant Sciences
Liang Zhang, Jingwen Ma, Huan Liu, Qian Yi, Yanan Wang, Jingjing Xing, Peipei Zhang, Shengdong Ji, Mingjun Li, Jingyuan Li, Jinbo Shen, Jinxing Lin
Summary: The R-SNAREs VAMP721 and VAMP722 in Arabidopsis are found to play crucial roles in intracellular trafficking, affecting auxin distribution and plant growth by regulating the polar localization of auxin transporters.
Article
Cell Biology
Aparna Prasad, Pragati Mastud, Swati Patankar
Summary: The study demonstrates that proteins localized in both the apicoplast and mitochondrion are trafficked through the Golgi, while proteins exclusively localized to the apicoplast are transported independently of the Golgi. Mutants of the latter group also showed trafficking through the Golgi. Evolutionary analysis suggests that TgSOD2 and TgTPx1/2 originated from the mitochondrion, while TgACN/IRP may have originated from the apicoplast.
BIOLOGY OF THE CELL
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Luisa Berna, Pablo Marquez, Andres Cabrera, Gonzalo Greif, Maria E. Francia, Carlos Robello
Summary: The study reveals errors in the assembly of the Neospora caninum genome and significant chromosomal rearrangements between Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii, leading to a reduction in their karyotype. Additionally, more than 500 new genes were identified through reannotation of the Neospora caninum genome.
Review
Plant Sciences
Qingchen Rui, Xiaoyun Tan, Feng Liu, Yiqun Bao
Summary: In this review, we summarize the key players in Golgi maintenance demonstrated by genetic studies in plants, with an emphasis on their roles in intra-Golgi trafficking.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Qiang-Qiang Wang, Ming Sun, Tao Tang, De-Hua Lai, Jing Liu, Sanjay Maity, Kai He, Xi-Ting Wu, Jiong Yang, Yue-Bao Li, Xiao-Yan Tang, Hui-Yong Ding, Geoff Hide, Mark Distefano, Zhao-Rong Lun, Xing-Quan Zhu, Shaojun Long
Summary: By studying the model apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii, it was found that protein prenylation is associated with endocytic trafficking. Four non-classical endocytic proteins were identified to be involved in regulating endocytic transport in T. gondii, revealing their important role in the process.
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Xuanang Zheng, Siyu Chen, Caiji Gao, Jun Zhou
Summary: Members of the ATG8 protein family can be conjugated to single membrane-bound organelles in a non-canonical way, but their exact function on these membranes is still unclear. A recent study using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model system found that non-canonical conjugation of ATG8 is involved in the reconstruction of the Golgi apparatus during heat stress. The study also revealed that ATG8 proteins can recruit clathrin to facilitate Golgi reassembly by promoting the budding of ATG8-positive vesicles from dilated cisternae. These findings provide new insights into the function of ATG8 translocation onto single membrane organelles and contribute to a better understanding of non-canonical conjugation of ATG8 in eukaryotic cells.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Grace Kennedy, Olivia Gibson, Daire T. O'Hare, Ian G. Mills, Emma Evergren
Summary: Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CaMKK2) is a serine/threonine protein kinase involved in regulating energy homeostasis and cell growth. Its deregulation has implications in metabolic diseases and cancer. Recent research has explored new functions of CaMKK2, such as lipogenesis and Golgi vesicle trafficking. This review discusses the role of CaMKK2 in membrane trafficking mechanisms and its implications for disease.
BIOCHEMICAL SOCIETY TRANSACTIONS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Romain Carmeille, Porfirio Schiano Lomoriello, Parvathi M. Devarakonda, Jacob A. Kellermeier, Aoife T. Heaslip
Summary: Endomembrane trafficking is a crucial cellular process in all eukaryotic cells, with mechanisms in the parasite Toxoplasma gondii poorly understood. This study identifies filamentous actin and an unconventional myosin motor, TgMyoF, as key cytoskeletal components that control the dynamics and organization of the endomembrane system in T. gondii.
Review
Cell Biology
Awatef Ben Ahmed, Quentin Lemaire, Jodie Scache, Christophe Mariller, Tony Lefebvre, Anne-Sophie Vercoutter-Edouart
Summary: The transport of proteins in cells is regulated by the secretory pathway, as well as unconventional secretion pathways. These complex processes rely on various signaling and regulatory proteins to ensure proper delivery of cargoes. O-GlcNAcylation, a reversible post-translational modification, plays a role in protein trafficking in mammalian cells through classical and unconventional secretory pathways. This review summarizes the emerging role of O-GlcNAc modification in protein trafficking.
Article
Cell Biology
Markus Mukenhirn, Francesco Muraca, Delia Bucher, Edgar Asberger, Elisa Cappio Barazzone, Elisabetta Ada Cavalcanti-Adam, Steeve Boulant
Summary: This study confirms that simultaneous deletion of CLCA/B leads to abnormal actin structures at the ventral plasma membrane, described for the first time as functional invadopodia. The formation of these invadopodia is influenced by the proteolytic activity of MMP14, and can be regulated by controlling the delivery of MMP14 to the plasma membrane.
Article
Biology
David S. Guttery, Rajan Pandey, David Jp Ferguson, Richard J. Wall, Declan Brady, Dinesh Gupta, Anthony A. Holder, Rita Tewari
LIFE SCIENCE ALLIANCE
(2020)
Article
Cell Biology
David S. Guttery, Abhinay Ramaprasad, David J. P. Ferguson, Mohammad Zeeshan, Rajan Pandey, Declan Brady, Anthony A. Holder, Arnab Pain, Rita Tewari
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ludek Koreny, Mohammad Zeeshan, Konstantin Barylyuk, Eelco C. Tromer, Jolien J. E. van Hooff, Declan Brady, Huiling Ke, Sara Chelaghma, David J. P. Ferguson, Laura Eme, Rita Tewari, Ross F. Waller
Summary: Through spatial proteomics and high-resolution microscopy, this study reveals molecular conservation of all conoid substructures throughout the phylum Apicomplexa, including in Plasmodium species. It also shows that Plasmodium has equivalent conoid structures in all zoite forms, with molecular differentiation between different stages.
Review
Cell Biology
Sujaan Das, Johannes Felix Stortz, Markus Meissner, Javier Periz
Summary: Actin, a highly abundant and conserved cytoskeletal protein in eukaryotic cells, plays critical roles in various cellular functions. Different isoforms of actin may have regulated expression patterns and unique roles, possibly influenced by selective pressure from actin binding proteins. The regulation and biological functions of actin in apicomplexans, with fewer actin binding proteins, are still unclear.
CELLULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Theresia Watzlowik, Sujaan Das, Markus Meissner, Gernot Laengst
Summary: The gene transcription regulation of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is governed by complex epigenetic mechanisms involving chromatin structure and dynamics. The high AT-content of the parasite genome and sequence divergence of chromatin-related proteins suggest significant differences in chromatin-dependent regulation compared to other eukaryotes. Specialized chromatin remodeling enzymes play an essential role in gene regulation in P. falciparum.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mohammad Farouq Sharifpour, Shadi Khadiv, Markus Meissner, Milton M. McAllister
Summary: The study demonstrates that incorporating a GRA2 minimal promoter into TATi greatly enhances its activation and suppression of transcription, with significantly improved signal to noise ratio compared to the SAG1 minimal promoter in stable transfectants.
MOLECULAR AND BIOCHEMICAL PARASITOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Mohammad Zeeshan, Rajan Pandey, Amit Kumar Subudhi, David J. P. Ferguson, Gursimran Kaur, Ravish Rashpa, Raushan Nugmanova, Declan Brady, Andrew R. Bottrill, Sue Vaughan, Mathieu Brochet, Mathieu Bollen, Arnab Pain, Anthony A. Holder, David S. Guttery, Rita Tewari
Summary: Using various techniques, Zeeshan et al. found that Plasmodium PP1 plays a role in mitotic exit and potentially establishing cell polarity during zygote development in the mosquito midgut, suggesting that targeting PP1 with small molecule inhibitors could be a promising approach to block parasite transmission.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Pathology
Eric D. Lombardini, Gareth D. H. Turner, Arthur E. Brown, Laksanee Inamnuay, Theerayuth Kaewamatawong, Piyanate Sunyakumthorn, David J. P. Ferguson
Summary: This study systematically evaluated the ultrastructural lesions associated with P. coatneyi infection in splenectomized rhesus macaques, providing important implications for the use of this model in studying severe malaria caused by P. falciparum.
VETERINARY PATHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Marc-Jan Gubbels, David J. P. Ferguson, Sudeshna Saha, Julia D. Romano, Suyog Chavan, Vincent A. Primo, Cynthia Michaud, Isabelle Coppens, Klemens Engelberg
Summary: Apicomplexa is famous for its apical complex at the top, while the basal complex at the other end has been overshadowed. However, in the past decade, a variety of functions have been associated with the basal complex, and progress has been made in understanding its structure.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Wei Li, Janessa Grech, Johannes Felix Stortz, Matthew Gow, Javier Periz, Markus Meissner, Elena Jimenez-Ruiz
Summary: Using a conditional Cas9-system, a phenotypic screen identified two genes in Toxoplasma gondii that play different roles in host cell egress. This method helps overcome the difficulty of assigning gene functions in apicomplexan parasites and has potential for identifying more related genes in future studies.
NATURE MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Mohammad Zeeshan, Declan Brady, Robert Markus, Sue Vaughan, David Ferguson, Anthony A. Holder, Rita Tewari
Summary: This article discusses the role of the centriole/basal body in Plasmodium, as well as the localization and interactions of SAS4 during basal body formation and mitosis. The study shows that SAS4 is part of the basal body and outer centriolar MTOC in the cytoplasm, and its deletion does not affect male gamete formation or parasite transmission.
LIFE SCIENCE ALLIANCE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Alana Burrell, Virginia Marugan-Hernandez, Richard Wheeler, Flavia Moreira-Leite, David J. P. Ferguson, Fiona M. Tomley, Sue Vaughan
Summary: This study reconstructed the entire apical complex of Eimeria tenella sporozoites using three-dimensional electron microscopy, providing insights into the structural organization and mechanisms for delivery of parasite molecules. The study also presented evidence for fusion of rhoptries and the presence of a pore in the parasitophorous vacuole membrane, explaining how parasite proteins can be trafficked between the parasite and host cytoplasm.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mirko Singer, Kathrin Simon, Ignasi Forne, Markus Meissner
Summary: Apicomplexa are parasites that live inside cells and are restricted to specific hosts and cell types. However, Toxoplasma gondii can invade any nucleated cell from warm-blooded animals, indicating a broad host range due to recognition of multiple host cell ligands or structures. During invasion, secretory organelles are released and certain micronemal proteins are suggested to be essential. The Cysteine Repeat Modular Proteins (CRMPs) form a complex with other proteins, and disruption of this complex inhibits rhoptry secretion and host cell invasion, suggesting its conservation in all apicomplexans.
Article
Cell Biology
Mirjam Wagner, Yuan Song, Elena Jimenez-Ruiz, Sonja Hartle, Markus Meissner
Summary: Connections between the nucleus and the cytoskeleton are crucial for nucleus positioning and division. This study identifies UNC family proteins in the genome of the apicomplexan parasite T. gondii and demonstrates their roles and localization in the parasite.
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elena Jimenez-Ruiz, Wei Li, Markus Meissner
Summary: Apicomplexans are intracellular parasites that invade, replicate, and exit host cells. During replication, they establish an F-actin-containing network within a parasitophorous vacuole, which is essential for material exchange and daughter cell assembly. Exiting the host cell involves multiple signalling cascades, network disassembly, microneme protein secretion, and acto-myosin motor activation. Recent technological developments, including genetic and phenotypic screens using random insertion mutagenesis, temperature-sensitive mutants, and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeted editing, have led to the identification of new critical factors in Toxoplasma gondii.
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
