A5072536880- Toxoplasma gondii Research Studies
- Parasitic Infections and Diagnostics
- Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments
- Cytomegalovirus and herpesvirus research
- Calpain Protease Function and Regulation
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Autophagy in Disease and Therapy
- Calcium signaling and nucleotide metabolism
- Venomous Animal Envenomation and Studies
- Biochemical and Molecular Research
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Malaria Research and Control
- Trypanosoma species research and implications
- Ion Channels and Receptors
- Heme Oxygenase-1 and Carbon Monoxide
- Polyamine Metabolism and Applications
- Heat shock proteins research
- Legionella and Acanthamoeba research
- Neonatal Health and Biochemistry
- Coccidia and coccidiosis research
- Toxin Mechanisms and Immunotoxins
University of Georgia
2014-2024
Dartmouth College
2013-2021
Universidad de Los Andes
2006-2012
ABSTRACT Ingestion of the obligate intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii causes an acute infection that leads to chronic host. To facilitate phase infection, T. manipulates host response by secreting rhoptry organelle proteins (ROPs) into cells during its invasion. A few key ROP with signatures kinases or pseudokinases (ROPKs) act as virulence factors enhance survival against gamma interferon-stimulated innate immunity. However, roles these and other ROPK in establishing have...
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that invades host cells, creating a parasitophorous vacuole where it communicates with the cell cytosol through membrane. The lytic cycle of starts its exit from followed by gliding motility, conoid extrusion, attachment, and invasion another cell. Here, we report Ca(2+) oscillations occur in during egress, gliding, invasion, which are critical steps cycle. Extracellular enhances each one these processes. We used tachyzoite clonal lines...
Ca
Abstract Calcium ions regulate a diversity of cellular functions in all eukaryotes. The cytosolic Ca 2+ concentration is tightly regulated at the physiological 50–100 n m . Toxoplasma gondii genome predicts presence several genes encoding potential channels, pumps, and transporters. Many these are weakly expressed likely due to their impact physiology cell. Endogenous tagging has been widely used localize proteins T. but low level expression many them makes visualization tags difficult...
Class XIVa myosins comprise a unique group of myosin motor proteins found in apicomplexan parasites, including those that cause malaria and toxoplasmosis. The founding member the class family, Toxoplasma gondii A (TgMyoA), is monomeric unconventional functions at parasite periphery to control gliding motility, host cell invasion, egress. How activity TgMyoA regulated during these critical steps parasite's lytic cycle unknown. We show here small-molecule enhancer T. motility invasion...
Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels participate in calcium ion (Ca 2+ ) influx and intracellular Ca release. TRP have not been studied Toxoplasma gondii or any other apicomplexan parasite. In this work, we characterize TgGT1_310560, a protein predicted to possess domain (TgTRPPL-2), determined its role signaling T. , the causative agent of toxoplasmosis. TgTRPPL-2 localizes plasma membrane endoplasmic reticulum (ER) . The ΔTgTRPPL-2 mutant was defective growth cytosolic from both...
Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) mediates the fourth step of de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis and is a proven drug target for inducing immunosuppression in therapy human disease as well rapidly emerging treatment malaria. In Toxoplasma gondii, disruption first, fifth, or sixth induced uracil auxotrophy. However, previous attempts to generate auxotrophy by genetically deleting mitochondrion-associated DHODH T. gondii (TgDHODH) failed. To further address essentiality TgDHODH, mutant gene...
Ca
Targeted genetic manipulation using homologous recombination is the method of choice for functional genomic analysis to obtain a detailed view gene function and phenotype(s). The development mutant strains with targeted deletions, mutations, complemented function, and/or tagged genes provides powerful strategies address particularly if these manipulations can be efficiently locus interest integration mediated by double cross over recombination. Due very high rates nonhomologous...
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular apicomplexan that causes toxoplasmosis in humans and animals. Central to its dissemination pathogenicity the ability rapidly divide tachyzoite stage infect any type of nucleated cell. Adaptation different cell contexts requires high plasticity which heat shock proteins (Hsps) could play a fundamental role. Tgj1 I Hsp40 T. gondii, ortholog DNAJA1 group, essential during lytic cycle. consists J-domain, ZFD, DNAJ_C domains with CRQQ C-terminal...
Ca 2+ signaling in cells begins with the opening of channels either plasma membrane (PM) or endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and results a dramatic increase physiologically low (<100 nM) cytosolic level. The temporal spatial levels are well regulated to enable precise specific activation critical biological processes. regulates pathogenic features apicomplexan parasites like Toxoplasma gondii which infects approximately one-third world’s population. T. relies on signals stimulate traits its...
Abstract The universal role of calcium (Ca 2+ ) as a second messenger in cells depends on large number Ca ‐binding proteins ( CBP ), which are able to bind through specific domains. Many s share type domain known the EF ‐hand. ‐hand motif has been well studied and consists helix‐loop‐helix structural with amino acids loop region that interact . In Toxoplasma gondii genes (approximately 68) predicted have at least one motif. majority these not characterized. We report characterization two...
Ca 2+ signaling in cells begins with the opening of channels either plasma membrane (PM) or endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and results a dramatic increase physiologically low (<100 nM) cytosolic level. The temporal spatial levels are well regulated to enable precise specific activation critical biological processes. regulates pathogenic features apicomplexan parasites like Toxoplasma gondii which infects approximately one-third world’s population. T. relies on signals stimulate traits its...
Abstract Toxoplasma gondii , an obligate intracellular parasite, is capable of invading virtually any nucleated cell. Ca 2+ signaling universal and both T. its mammalian host cell will utilize to stimulate diverse cellular functions. Egress from the essential step for infection cycle a cytosolic increase initiates cascade that culminates in stimulation motility egress. In this work we demonstrate taking up cytoplasm when concentration increased during events. Both extracellular sources are...
Targeted genetic manipulation using homologous recombination is the method of choice for functional genomic analysis to obtain a detailed view gene function and phenotype(s). The development mutant strains with targeted deletions, mutations, complemented function, and/or tagged genes provides powerful strategies address particularly if these manipulations can be efficiently locus interest integration mediated by double cross over recombination. Due very high rates nonhomologous...