title: Identification of a new rhoptry neck complex RON9/RON10 in the Apicomplexa parasite Toxoplasma gondii.
abstract: Apicomplexan parasites secrete and inject into the host cell the content of specialized secretory organelles called rhoptries, which take part into critical processes such as host cell invasion and modulation of the host cell immune response. The rhoptries are structurally and functionally divided into two compartments. The apical duct contains rhoptry neck (RON) proteins that are conserved in Apicomplexa and are involved in formation of the moving junction (MJ) driving parasite invasion. The posterior bulb contains rhoptry proteins (ROPs) unique to an individual genus and, once injected in the host cell act as effector proteins to co-opt host processes and modulate parasite growth and virulence. We describe here two new RON proteins of Toxoplasma gondii, RON9 and RON10, which form a high molecular mass complex. In contrast to the other RONs described to date, this complex was not detected at the MJ during invasion and therefore was not associated to the MJ complex RON2/4/5/8. Disruptions of either RON9 or RON10 gene leads to the retention of the partner in the ER followed by subsequent degradation, suggesting that the RON9/RON10 complex formation is required for proper sorting to the rhoptries. Finally, we show that the absence of RON9/RON10 has no significant impact on the morphology of rhoptry, on the invasion and growth in fibroblasts in vitro or on virulence in vivo. The conservation of RON9 and RON10 in Coccidia and Cryptosporidia suggests a specific relation with development in intestinal epithelial cells.
authors.affiliation: UMR 5235 CNRS, Université de Montpellier 2, 34095 Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Mauld H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lamarque
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Papoin
authors.forename: Anne-Laure
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Finizio
authors.forename: Gaelle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lentini
authors.forename: Alexander W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Pfaff
authors.forename: Ermanno
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Candolfi
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Dubremetz
authors.forename: Maryse
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lebrun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D019295:Computational Biology; D020285:Cryoelectron Microscopy; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D051379:Mice; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins