title: Neospora caninum protein disulfide isomerase is involved in tachyzoite-host cell interaction.
abstract: We have previously shown that treatment of Neospora caninum tachyzoites with the aspartyl protease inhibitor pepstatin A reduces host cell invasion [Naguleswaran, A., Muller, N., Hemphill, A., 2003. Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii: a novel adhesion/invasion assay reveals distinct differences in tachyzoite-host cell interactions. Exp. Parasitol. 104, 149-158]. Pepstatin A-affinity-chromatography led to the isolation of a major band of approximately 52 kDa which was identified as a homologue of a previously described Toxoplasma gondii putative protein disulfide isomerase (TgPDI) through tandem mass spectrometry. A BLAST search against N. caninum expressed sequence tags (ESTs) on the ApiDots server using TgPDI cDNA as query sequence revealed a 2251 bp PDI-like consensus (NcPDI), which shows 94% identity to the T. gondii homologue. In N. caninum tachyzoites, NcPDI was found mainly in the soluble hydrophilic fraction. Immunofluorescence showed that expression of NcPDI was dramatically down-regulated in the bradyzoite stage, and immunogold-EM on tachyzoites localised the protein to the cytoplasm, mostly in close vicinity to the nuclear membrane, to the micronemes, and to the parasite cell surface. However, NcPDI was absent in rhoptries and dense granules. Preincubation of tachyzoites with the sulfhydryl blocker 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB), p-chloromercuribenzoic acid (pCMBA), and with the PDI inhibitor bacitracin reduced adhesion of parasites to host cells. In addition, incubation of N. caninum tachyzoites with affinity-purified anti-NcPDI antibodies reduced host cell adhesion. PDIs catalyse the formation, reduction or isomerisation of disulfide bonds. Many major components of the adhesion and invasion machinery of apicomplexan parasites are cysteine-rich and dependent on correct folding via disulfide bond formation. Thus, our data points towards an important role for surface-associated NcPDI in Neospora-host cell interaction.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, University of Berne, Länggass-Strasse 122, CH-3012 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Arunasalam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Naguleswaran
authors.forename: Ferial
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alaeddine
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guionaud
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vonlaufen
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sonda
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jenoe
authors.forename: Meike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mevissen
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hemphill
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity / Q000379:methods; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel / Q000379:methods; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000502:physiology*; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018688:Neospora / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D019704:Protein Disulfide-Isomerases / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D019704:Protein Disulfide-Isomerases