title: The glycosylation pathway of Eimeria tenella is upregulated during gametocyte development and may play a role in oocyst wall formation.
abstract: Sexual-stage glycoproteins of Eimeria are important components of the oocyst wall, a structure that ensures the efficient transmission of these and related parasites. In this study, the primary enzyme in the glycosylation pathway of Eimeria tenella, glucosamine:fructose-6-phosphate aminotransferase (EtGFAT), has been characterized as a macrogamete-specific protein. Although the transcription of EtGFAT was observed early in macrogamete development, protein expression was restricted to mature macrogametes, prior to their conversion into unsporulated oocysts. Genes coding for three other enzymes required for N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) synthesis were also transcribed during E. tenella macrogamete development. Gene transcription of the enzyme responsible for the O-linked transfer of GalNAc to proteins, EtGalNAc-T, was upregulated primarily in unsporulated oocyst stages, and accordingly, a significant increase in GalNAc levels was observed in E. tenella gametocytes and oocysts. Gam56 and Gam82, two well-characterized glycoproteins of Eimeria macrogametes and the oocyst wall, contain high levels of GalNAc and represent probable targets of GalNAc O linkage. It appears that the glycosylation pathway, specifically relating to the formation of GalNAc O links, is dramatically upregulated in E. tenella sexual stages and may play a role in directing a number of macrogamete proteins to the developing oocyst wall.
authors.affiliation: Institute for the Biotechnology of Infectious Diseases, University of Technology, Sydney, New South Wales 2007, Australia.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Iveta
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Slapetova
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Slapeta
authors.forename: Catherine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Nicholas C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002473:Cell Wall; D002645:Chickens / Q000469:parasitology; D004539:Eimeria / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D005636:Fructosephosphates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D006031:Glycosylation; D037102:Lectins / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015394:Molecular Structure; D019884:Nitrogenous Group Transferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D033661:Oocysts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005636:Fructosephosphates; D037102:Lectins; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C027618:fructose-6-phosphate; D019884:Nitrogenous Group Transferases