Identification of three novel Toxoplasma gondii rhoptry proteins.
The rhoptries are key secretory organelles from apicomplexan parasites that contain proteins involved in invasion and modulation of the host cell. Some rhoptry proteins are restricted to the posterior bulb (ROPs) and others to the anterior neck (RONs). As many rhoptry proteins have been shown to be key players in Toxoplasma invasion and virulence, it is important to identify, understand and characterise the biological function of the components of the rhoptries. In this report, we identified putative novel rhoptry genes by identifying Toxoplasma genes with similar cyclical expression profiles as known rhoptry protein encoding genes. Using this approach we identified two new rhoptry bulb (ROP47 and ROP48) and one new rhoptry neck protein (RON12). ROP47 is secreted and traffics to the host cell nucleus, RON12 was not detected at the moving junction during invasion. Deletion of ROP47 or ROP48 in a type II strain did not show major influence in in vitro growth or virulence in mice.
Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Ana
A
Camejo
Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Daniel A
DA
Gold
Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Diana
D
Lu
Department of Biochemistry, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA.
Kiva
K
McFetridge
Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Lindsay
L
Julien
Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Ninghan
N
Yang
Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Kirk D C
KD
Jensen
Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. Electronic address: jsaeij@mit.edu.
Jeroen P J
JP
Saeij
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000469:parasitology*
D015800:Protozoan Proteins
Host–pathogen interaction; Rhoptry; Rhoptry neck; Toxoplasma gondii