title: Vacuolar protein sorting mechanisms in apicomplexan parasites.
abstract: The phylum Apicomplexa comprises more than 5000 species including pathogens of clinical and economical importance. These obligate intracellular parasites possess a highly complex endomembrane system to build amongst others three morphologically distinct secretory organelles: rhoptries, micronemes and dense granules. Proteins released by these organelles are essential for invasion and hijacking of the host cell. Due to the complexity of the internal organization of these parasites, a wide panoply of trafficking factors was expected to be required for the correct sorting of proteins towards the various organelles. However, Toxoplasma gondii and other apicomplexan parasites contain only a core set of these factors and several of the vacuolar protein sorting (VPS) homologues found in most eukaryotes have been lost in this phylum. In this review, we will summarise our current knowledge about the role of trafficking complexes in T. gondii, highlighting recent studies focused on complexes formed by VPS proteins. We also present a novel, hypothetical model, suggesting the recycling of parasite membrane and micronemal proteins.
authors: Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, United Kingdom.
authors: Elena
authors: E
authors: Jimenez-Ruiz
authors: Dynamique des Interactions Membranaires Normales et Pathologiques, UMR5235 CNRS, Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
authors: Juliette
authors: J
authors: Morlon-Guyot
authors: Dynamique des Interactions Membranaires Normales et Pathologiques, UMR5235 CNRS, Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France. Electronic address: wassim.daher@univ-montp2.fr.
authors: Wassim
authors: W
authors: Daher
authors: Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, United Kingdom. Electronic address: Markus.Meissner@glasgow.ac.uk.
authors: Markus
authors: M
authors: Meissner
mesh_terms: D016782:Apicomplexa / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004705:Endocytosis; D056827:Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport / Q000378:metabolism; D011992:Endosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D015388:Organelles / Q000378:metabolism; D021381:Protein Transport; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D056827:Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins
keywords: Microneme recycling; Multi-subunit tethering complex; Toxoplasma gondii; Vesicular protein sorting