scholarly journals Characterization of the Chloroquine Resistance Transporter Homologue in Toxoplasma gondii

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 1360-1370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally D. Warring ◽  
Zhicheng Dou ◽  
Vern B. Carruthers ◽  
Geoffrey I. McFadden ◽  
Giel G. van Dooren
Keyword(s):  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Protein Composition ◽  
Chloroquine Resistance ◽  
Digestive Vacuole ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Apicomplexan Parasites ◽  
Chloroquine Resistance Transporter ◽  
Transporter Family ◽  
New Information ◽  
Family Protein

ABSTRACT Mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter ( Pf CRT) protein confer resistance to the antimalarial drug chloroquine. Pf CRT localizes to the parasite digestive vacuole, the site of chloroquine action, where it mediates resistance by transporting chloroquine out of the digestive vacuole. Pf CRT belongs to a family of transporter proteins called the chloroquine resistance transporter family. CRT family proteins are found throughout the Apicomplexa, in some protists, and in plants. Despite the importance of Pf CRT in drug resistance, little is known about the evolution or native function of CRT proteins. The apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii contains one CRT family protein. We demonstrate that T. gondii CRT ( Tg CRT) colocalizes with markers for the vacuolar (VAC) compartment in these parasites. The Tg CRT-containing VAC is a highly dynamic organelle, changing its morphology and protein composition between intracellular and extracellular forms of the parasite. Regulated knockdown of Tg CRT expression resulted in modest reduction in parasite fitness and swelling of the VAC, indicating that Tg CRT contributes to parasite growth and VAC physiology. Together, our findings provide new information on the role of CRT family proteins in apicomplexan parasites.

scholarly journals Role of Toxoplasma gondii Chloroquine Resistance Transporter in Bradyzoite Viability and Digestive Vacuole Maintenance

mBio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Geetha Kannan ◽  
Manlio Di Cristina ◽  
Aric J. Schultz ◽  
My-Hang Huynh ◽  
Fengrong Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Chronic Infection ◽  
Chloroquine Resistance ◽  
Congenital Defects ◽  
Functional Link ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Chloroquine Resistance Transporter

ABSTRACT Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous pathogen that can cause encephalitis, congenital defects, and ocular disease. T. gondii has also been implicated as a risk factor for mental illness in humans. The parasite persists in the brain as slow-growing bradyzoites contained within intracellular cysts. No treatments exist to eliminate this form of parasite. Although proteolytic degradation within the parasite lysosome-like vacuolar compartment (VAC) is critical for bradyzoite viability, whether other aspects of the VAC are important for parasite persistence remains unknown. An ortholog of Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (CRT), TgCRT, has previously been identified in T. gondii. To interrogate the function of TgCRT in chronic-stage bradyzoites and its role in persistence, we knocked out TgCRT in a cystogenic strain and assessed VAC size, VAC digestion of host-derived proteins and parasite autophagosomes, and the viability of in vitro and in vivo bradyzoites. We found that whereas parasites deficient in TgCRT exhibit normal digestion within the VAC, they display a markedly distended VAC and their viability is compromised both in vitro and in vivo. Interestingly, impairing VAC proteolysis in TgCRT-deficient bradyzoites restored VAC size, consistent with a role for TgCRT as a transporter of products of digestion from the VAC. In conjunction with earlier studies, our current findings suggest a functional link between TgCRT and VAC proteolysis. This study provides further evidence of a crucial role for the VAC in bradyzoite persistence and a new potential VAC target to abate chronic Toxoplasma infection. IMPORTANCE Individuals chronically infected with the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii are at risk of experiencing reactivated disease that can result in progressive loss of vision. No effective treatments exist for chronic toxoplasmosis due in part to a poor understanding of the biology underlying chronic infection and a lack of well-validated potential targets. We show here that a T. gondii transporter is functionally linked to protein digestion within the parasite lysosome-like organelle and that this transporter is necessary to sustain chronic infection in culture and in experimentally infected mice. Ablating the transporter results in severe bloating of the lysosome-like organelle. Together with earlier work, this study suggests the parasite’s lysosome-like organelle is vital for parasite survival, thus rendering it a potential target for diminishing infection and reducing the risk of reactivated disease.

scholarly journals Mutation in the Plasmodium falciparum CRT Protein Determines the Stereospecific Activity of Antimalarial Cinchona Alkaloids

2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (10) ◽  
pp. 5356-5364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol E. Griffin ◽  
Jonathan M. Hoke ◽  
Upeka Samarakoon ◽  
Junhui Duan ◽  
Jianbing Mu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Antimalarial Activity ◽  
Cinchona Alkaloids ◽  
Chloroquine Resistance ◽  
Digestive Vacuole ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Chloroquine Resistance Transporter ◽  
Clonal Lines

ABSTRACTTheCinchonaalkaloids are quinoline aminoalcohols that occur as diastereomer pairs, typified by (−)-quinine and (+)-quinidine. The potency of (+)-isomers is greater than the (−)-isomersin vitroandin vivoagainstPlasmodium falciparummalaria parasites. They may act by the inhibition of heme crystallization within the parasite digestive vacuole in a manner similar to chloroquine. Earlier studies showed that a K76I mutation in the digestive vacuole-associated protein, PfCRT (P. falciparumchloroquine resistance transporter), reversed the normal potency order of quinine and quinidine towardP. falciparum. To further explore PfCRT-alkaloid interactions in the malaria parasite, we measured thein vitrosusceptibility of eight clonal lines ofP. falciparumderived from the 106/1 strain, each containing a uniquepfcrtallele, to fourCinchonastereoisomer pairs: quinine and quinidine; cinchonidine and cinchonine; hydroquinine and hydroquinidine; 9-epiquinine and 9-epiquinidine. Stereospecific potency of theCinchonaalkaloids was associated with changes in charge and hydrophobicity of mutable PfCRT amino acids. In isogenic chloroquine-resistant lines, the IC50ratio of (−)/(+) CA pairs correlated with side chain hydrophobicity of the position 76 residue. Second-site PfCRT mutations negated the K76I stereospecific effects: charge-change mutations C72R or Q352K/R restored potency patterns similar to the parent K76 line, while V369F increased susceptibility to the alkaloids and nullified stereospecific differences between alkaloid pairs. Interactions between key residues of the PfCRT channel/transporter with (−) and (+) alkaloids are stereospecifically determined, suggesting that PfCRT binding plays an important role in the antimalarial activity of quinine and otherCinchonaalkaloids.

scholarly journals An ortholog of P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT) plays a key role in maintaining the integrity of the endolysosomal system in Toxoplasma gondii to facilitate host invasion

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Brock Thornton ◽  
Paige Teehan ◽  
Katherine Floyd ◽  
Christian Cochrane ◽  
Amy Bergmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Proteolytic Enzymes ◽  
Apicomplexan Parasite ◽  
Lytic Cycle ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Chloroquine Resistance ◽  
Digestive Vacuole ◽  
Parasite Invasion ◽  
Chloroquine Resistance Transporter

AbstractToxoplasma gondii is an apicomplexan parasite with the ability to use foodborne, zoonotic, and congenital routes of transmission that causes severe disease in immunocompromised patients. The parasites harbor a lysosome-like digestive vacuole, termed the “Vacuolar Compartment/Plant-Like Vacuole” (VAC/PLV), which plays an important role in maintaining the lytic cycle and virulence of T. gondii. The VAC supplies proteolytic enzymes that are required to mature the parasite’s invasion effectors and that digest autophagosomes and endocytosed host proteins. Previous work identified a T. gondii ortholog of the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT) that localized to the VAC. Here, we show that TgCRT is a membrane transporter that is functionally similar to PfCRT. We also genetically ablate TgCRT and reveal that TgCRT protein plays a key role in maintaining the integrity of the parasite’s endolysosomal system by controlling morphology of the VAC. When TgCRT is absent, the VAC dramatically increases in size by ~15-fold and co-localizes with its adjacent endosome-like compartment. Presumably to reduce aberrant swelling, transcription and translation of endolysosomal proteases are decreased in ΔTgCRT parasites. Expression of one endolysosomal subtilisin protease is quite significantly reduced, which impedes trimming of micronemal proteins, and significantly decreases parasite invasion. Chemical and genetic inhibition of proteolysis within the VAC reverses these effects, reducing VAC size and partially restoring the endolysosomal system, micronemal protein trimming, and invasion. Taken together, these findings reveal for the first time a physiological role of TgCRT in controlling VAC volume and the integrity of the endolysosomal system in T. gondii.Author SummaryToxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that belongs to the phylum Apicomplexa and that infects virtually all warm-blooded organisms. Approximately one-third of the human population is infected with Toxoplasma. The parasites invade host cells via processed invasion effectors in order to disseminate infection. A lysosome-like digestive vacuole (VAC) is involved in refining these invasion effectors to reach their final forms. A T. gondii ortholog of the malarial chloroquine resistance transporter protein (TgCRT) was found to be localized to the VAC membrane. Although the mutated version of the malarial chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT) has been shown to confer resistance to chloroquine treatment, its physiologic function remains poorly understood. Comparison between the related PfCRT and TgCRT proteins facilitates definition of the physiologic role of CRT proteins. In this study, we report that TgCRT plays a key role in regulating the integrity and proteolytic activity of the VAC and adjacent organelles, the secretion of invasion effectors, and parasite invasion and virulence. To relieve osmotic stress caused by VAC swelling when TgCRT is deleted, parasites repress proteolytic activities within this organelle to decrease solute accumulation, which then has secondary effects on parasite invasion. Our findings highlight a common function for PfCRT and TgCRT proteins in regulating apicomplexan parasite vacuolar size and function.

scholarly journals Differential Drug Efflux or Accumulation Does Not Explain Variation in the Chloroquine Response of Plasmodium falciparum Strains Expressing the Same Isoform of Mutant PfCRT

2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 2310-2318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adele M. Lehane ◽  
Donelly A. van Schalkwyk ◽  
Stephanie G. Valderramos ◽  
David A. Fidock ◽  
Kiaran Kirk
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Inhibitory Concentration ◽  
Chloroquine Resistance ◽  
Mutant Form ◽  
Digestive Vacuole ◽  
Biochemical Basis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Chloroquine Resistance Transporter ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Mutant Forms

ABSTRACTMutant forms of thePlasmodium falciparumchloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT) mediate chloroquine resistance by effluxing the drug from the parasite's digestive vacuole, the acidic organelle in which chloroquine exerts its parasiticidal effect. However, different parasites bearing the same mutant form of PfCRT can vary substantially in their chloroquine susceptibility. Here, we have investigated the biochemical basis for the difference in chloroquine response among transfectant parasite lines having different genetic backgrounds but bearing the same mutant form of PfCRT. Despite showing significant differences in their chloroquine susceptibility, all lines with the mutant PfCRT showed a similar chloroquine-induced H+leak from the digestive vacuole, indicative of similar rates of PfCRT-mediated chloroquine efflux. Furthermore, all lines showed similarly reduced levels of drug accumulation. Factors other than chloroquine efflux and accumulation therefore influence the susceptibility to this drug in parasites expressing mutant PfCRT. Furthermore, in some but not all strains bearing mutant PfCRT, the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) for chloroquine and the degree of resistance compared to that of recombinant control parasites varied with the length of the parasite growth assays. In these parasites, the 50% inhibitory concentration for chloroquine measured in 72- or 96-h assays was significantly lower than that measured in 48-h assays. This highlights the importance of considering the first- and second-cycle activities of chloroquine in future studies of parasite susceptibility to this drug.

scholarly journals Two Phosphoglucomutase Paralogs Facilitate Ionophore-Triggered Secretion of the Toxoplasma Micronemes

mSphere ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sudeshna Saha ◽  
Bradley I. Coleman ◽  
Rashmi Dubey ◽  
Ira J. Blader ◽  
Marc-Jan Gubbels
Keyword(s):  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Phosphatidic Acid ◽  
Host Cell ◽  
Lytic Cycle ◽  
Ionophore A23187 ◽  
Host Cell Invasion ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Apicomplexan Parasites ◽  
Genetic Deletion

ABSTRACT Ca2+-dependent exocytosis is essential for the life cycle of apicomplexan parasites. Toxoplasma gondii harbors a phosphoglucomutase (PGM) ortholog, PRP1, previously associated with Ca2+-dependent microneme secretion. Here it is shown that genetic deletion of either PRP1, its PGM2 ortholog, or both genes is dispensable for the parasite’s lytic cycle, including host cell egress and invasion. Depletion of the proteins abrogated high Ca2+-mediated microneme secretion induced by the ionophore A23187; however, the constitutive and phosphatidic acid-mediated release remained unaffected. Secretion mediated by the former pathway is not essential for tachyzoite survival or acute in vivo infection in the mice. Paralogs of the widely prevalent phosphoglucomutase (PGM) protein called parafusin function in calcium (Ca2+)-mediated exocytosis across eukaryotes. In Toxoplasma gondii, the parafusin-related protein 1 (PRP1) has been associated with Ca2+-dependent microneme organelle secretion required for essential processes like host cell invasion and egress. Using reverse genetics, we observed PRP1 to be dispensable for completion of the lytic cycle, including host cell invasion and egress by the parasite. However, the absence of the gene affected increased microneme release triggered by A23187, a Ca2+ ionophore used to raise the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration mimicking the physiological role of Ca2+ during invasion and egress. The basal levels of constitutive microneme release in extracellular parasites and phosphatidic acid-triggered microneme secretion were unaffected in the mutant. The phenotype of the deletion mutant of the second PGM-encoding gene in Toxoplasma, PGM2, was similar to the phenotype of the PRP1 deletion mutant. Furthermore, the ability of the tachyzoites to induce acute infection in the mice remained normal in the absence of both PGM paralogs. Our data thus reveal that the microneme secretion upon high Ca2+ flux is facilitated by the Toxoplasma PGM paralogs, PRP1 and PGM2. However, this protein-mediated release is neither essential for lytic cycle completion nor for acute virulence of the parasite. IMPORTANCE Ca2+-dependent exocytosis is essential for the life cycle of apicomplexan parasites. Toxoplasma gondii harbors a phosphoglucomutase (PGM) ortholog, PRP1, previously associated with Ca2+-dependent microneme secretion. Here it is shown that genetic deletion of either PRP1, its PGM2 ortholog, or both genes is dispensable for the parasite’s lytic cycle, including host cell egress and invasion. Depletion of the proteins abrogated high Ca2+-mediated microneme secretion induced by the ionophore A23187; however, the constitutive and phosphatidic acid-mediated release remained unaffected. Secretion mediated by the former pathway is not essential for tachyzoite survival or acute in vivo infection in the mice.

scholarly journals A Toxoplasma gondii Ortholog of Plasmodium GAMA Contributes to Parasite Attachment and Cell Invasion

mSphere ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
My-Hang Huynh ◽  
Vern B. Carruthers
Keyword(s):  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Host Cell ◽  
Cell Invasion ◽  
Genetic Evidence ◽  
Specific Role ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Human Pathogen ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Apicomplexan Parasites ◽  
Adhesive Proteins

ABSTRACT Toxoplasma gondii is a successful human pathogen in the same phylum as malaria-causing Plasmodium parasites. Invasion of a host cell is an essential process that begins with secretion of adhesive proteins onto the parasite surface for attachment and subsequent penetration of the host cell. Conserved invasion proteins likely play roles that were maintained through the divergence of these parasites. Here, we identify a new conserved invasion protein called glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored micronemal antigen (GAMA). Tachyzoites lacking TgGAMA were partially impaired in parasite attachment and invasion of host cells, yielding the first genetic evidence of a specific role in parasite entry into host cells. These findings widen our appreciation of the repertoire of conserved proteins that apicomplexan parasites employ for cell invasion. Toxoplasma gondii and its Plasmodium kin share a well-conserved invasion process, including sequential secretion of adhesive molecules for host cell attachment and invasion. However, only a few orthologs have been shown to be important for efficient invasion by both genera. Bioinformatic screening to uncover potential new players in invasion identified a previously unrecognized T. gondii ortholog of Plasmodium glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored micronemal antigen (TgGAMA). We show that TgGAMA localizes to the micronemes and is processed into several proteolytic products within the parasite prior to secretion onto the parasite surface during invasion. TgGAMA from parasite lysate bound to several different host cell types in vitro, suggesting a role in parasite attachment. Consistent with this function, tetracycline-regulatable TgGAMA and TgGAMA knockout strains showed significant reductions in host cell invasion at the attachment step, with no defects in any of the other stages of the parasite lytic cycle. Together, the results of this work reveal a new conserved component of the adhesive repertoire of apicomplexan parasites. IMPORTANCE Toxoplasma gondii is a successful human pathogen in the same phylum as malaria-causing Plasmodium parasites. Invasion of a host cell is an essential process that begins with secretion of adhesive proteins onto the parasite surface for attachment and subsequent penetration of the host cell. Conserved invasion proteins likely play roles that were maintained through the divergence of these parasites. Here, we identify a new conserved invasion protein called glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored micronemal antigen (GAMA). Tachyzoites lacking TgGAMA were partially impaired in parasite attachment and invasion of host cells, yielding the first genetic evidence of a specific role in parasite entry into host cells. These findings widen our appreciation of the repertoire of conserved proteins that apicomplexan parasites employ for cell invasion.

scholarly journals Saquinavir Inhibits the Malaria Parasite's Chloroquine Resistance Transporter

2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 2283-2289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rowena E. Martin ◽  
Alice S. Butterworth ◽  
Donald L. Gardiner ◽  
Kiaran Kirk ◽  
James S. McCarthy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Heterologous Expression ◽  
Protease Inhibitors ◽  
Chloroquine Resistance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Chloroquine Resistance Transporter ◽  
Resistant Phenotype ◽  
Transgenic Parasites

ABSTRACTThe antiretroviral protease inhibitors (APIs) ritonavir, saquinavir, and lopinavir, used to treat HIV infection, inhibit the growth ofPlasmodium falciparumat clinically relevant concentrations. Moreover, it has been reported that these APIs potentiate the activity of chloroquine (CQ) against this parasitein vitro. The mechanism underlying this effect is not understood, but the degree of chemosensitization varies between the different APIs and, with the exception of ritonavir, appears to be dependent on the parasite exhibiting a CQ-resistant phenotype. Here we report a study of the role of theP. falciparumchloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT) in the interaction between CQ and APIs, using transgenic parasites expressing different PfCRT alleles and using theXenopus laevisoocyte system for the heterologous expression of PfCRT. Our data demonstrate that saquinavir behaves as a CQ resistance reverser and that this explains, at least in part, its ability to enhance the effects of CQ in CQ-resistantP. falciparumparasites.

scholarly journals Blocking Palmitoylation of Toxoplasma gondii Myosin Light Chain 1 Disrupts Glideosome Composition but Has Little Impact on Parasite Motility

mSphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pramod K. Rompikuntal ◽  
Robyn S. Kent ◽  
Ian T. Foe ◽  
Bin Deng ◽  
Matthew Bogyo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Current Model ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Gliding Motility ◽  
The Body ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Apicomplexan Parasites ◽  
Myosin Motor ◽  
Animal Pathogens ◽  
Parasite Motility

ABSTRACT Toxoplasma gondii is a widespread apicomplexan parasite that causes severe disease in immunocompromised individuals and the developing fetus. Like other apicomplexans, T. gondii uses an unusual form of substrate-dependent gliding motility to invade cells of its hosts and to disseminate throughout the body during infection. It is well established that a myosin motor consisting of a class XIVa heavy chain (TgMyoA) and two light chains (TgMLC1 and TgELC1/2) plays an important role in parasite motility. The ability of the motor to generate force at the parasite periphery is thought to be reliant upon its anchoring and immobilization within a peripheral membrane-bound compartment, the inner membrane complex (IMC). The motor does not insert into the IMC directly; rather, this interaction is believed to be mediated by the binding of TgMLC1 to the IMC-anchored protein, TgGAP45. Therefore, the binding of TgMLC1 to TgGAP45 is considered a key element in the force transduction machinery of the parasite. TgMLC1 is palmitoylated, and we show here that palmitoylation occurs on two N-terminal cysteine residues, C8 and C11. Mutations that block TgMLC1 palmitoylation completely abrogate the binding of TgMLC1 to TgGAP45. Surprisingly, the loss of TgMLC1 binding to TgGAP45 in these mutant parasites has little effect on their ability to initiate or sustain movement. These results question a key tenet of the current model of apicomplexan motility and suggest that our understanding of gliding motility in this important group of human and animal pathogens is not yet complete. IMPORTANCE Gliding motility plays a central role in the life cycle of T. gondii and other apicomplexan parasites. The myosin motor thought to power motility is essential for virulence but distinctly different from the myosins found in humans. Consequently, an understanding of the mechanism(s) underlying parasite motility and the role played by this unusual myosin may reveal points of vulnerability that can be targeted for disease prevention or treatment. We show here that mutations that uncouple the motor from what is thought to be a key structural component of the motility machinery have little impact on parasite motility. This finding runs counter to predictions of the current, widely held “linear motor” model of motility, highlighting the need for further studies to fully understand how apicomplexan parasites generate the forces necessary to move into, out of, and between cells of the hosts they infect.

scholarly journals Plant homologs of the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine-resistance transporter, PfCRT, are required for glutathione homeostasis and stress responses

2010 ◽  
Vol 107 (5) ◽  
pp. 2331-2336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spencer C. Maughan ◽  
Maciej Pasternak ◽  
Narelle Cairns ◽  
Guy Kiddle ◽  
Thorsten Brach ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Redox Potential ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Defense Responses ◽  
Chloroquine Resistance ◽  
Chloroquine Resistance Transporter ◽  
Transporter Family ◽  
Heavy Metal Detoxification ◽  
Glutathione Redox

In Arabidopsis thaliana, biosynthesis of the essential thiol antioxidant, glutathione (GSH), is plastid-regulated, but many GSH functions, including heavy metal detoxification and plant defense activation, depend on cytosolic GSH. This finding suggests that plastid and cytosol thiol pools are closely integrated and we show that in Arabidopsis this integration requires a family of three plastid thiol transporters homologous to the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine-resistance transporter, PfCRT. Arabidopsis mutants lacking these transporters are heavy metal-sensitive, GSH-deficient, and hypersensitive to Phytophthora infection, confirming a direct requirement for correct GSH homeostasis in defense responses. Compartment-specific measurements of the glutathione redox potential using redox-sensitive GFP showed that knockout of the entire transporter family resulted in a more oxidized glutathione redox potential in the cytosol, but not in the plastids, indicating the GSH-deficient phenotype is restricted to the cytosolic compartment. Expression of the transporters in Xenopus oocytes confirmed that each can mediate GSH uptake. We conclude that these transporters play a significant role in regulating GSH levels and the redox potential of the cytosol.

scholarly journals Divergent features of the coenzyme Q:cytochrome c oxidoreductase complex in Toxoplasma gondii parasites

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. e1009211
Author(s):  
Jenni A. Hayward ◽  
Esther Rajendran ◽  
Soraya M. Zwahlen ◽  
Pierre Faou ◽  
Giel G. van Dooren
Keyword(s):  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Drug Target ◽  
Protein Composition ◽  
Complex Iii ◽  
Mitochondrial Electron Transport Chain ◽  
Eukaryotic Evolution ◽  
Mitochondrial Oxygen Consumption ◽  
Apicomplexan Parasites ◽  
Transport Chain ◽  
Important Drug

The mitochondrion is critical for the survival of apicomplexan parasites. Several major anti-parasitic drugs, such as atovaquone and endochin-like quinolones, act through inhibition of the mitochondrial electron transport chain at the coenzyme Q:cytochrome c oxidoreductase complex (Complex III). Despite being an important drug target, the protein composition of Complex III of apicomplexan parasites has not been elucidated. Here, we undertake a mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis of Complex III in the apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii. Along with canonical subunits that are conserved across eukaryotic evolution, we identify several novel or highly divergent Complex III components that are conserved within the apicomplexan lineage. We demonstrate that one such subunit, which we term TgQCR11, is critical for parasite proliferation, mitochondrial oxygen consumption and Complex III activity, and establish that loss of this protein leads to defects in Complex III integrity. We conclude that the protein composition of Complex III in apicomplexans differs from that of the mammalian hosts that these parasites infect.

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