Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Site Tools

  • AAAS
  • Subscribe
  • Feedback

Site Search

Search Advanced

Science 25 October 2002:
Vol. 298. no. 5594, pp. 837 - 840
DOI: 10.1126/science.1074553
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Reports

Role of Toxoplasma gondii Myosin A in Powering Parasite Gliding and Host Cell Invasion

Markus Meissner,1 Dirk Schlüter,2 Dominique Soldati1*

Obligate intracellular apicomplexan parasites rely on gliding motion powered by their actomyosin system to disperse throughout tissues and to penetrate host cells. Toxoplasma gondii myosin A has been implicated in this process, but direct proof has been lacking. We designed a genetic screen to generate a tetracycline-inducible transactivator system in T. gondii. The MyoA gene was disrupted in the presence of a second regulatable copy of MyoA. Conditional removal of this myosin caused severe impairment in host cell invasion and parasite spreading in cultured cells, and unambiguously established the pathogenic function of this motor in an animal model.

1 Department of Biological Sciences, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Imperial College Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
2 Institut für Med. Mikrobiologie und Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Mannheim, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167 Mannheim, Germany.
*   To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: d.soldati{at}ic.ac.uk

Read the Full Text


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
IMC1b Is a Putative Membrane Skeleton Protein Involved in Cell Shape, Mechanical Strength, Motility, and Infectivity of Malaria Ookinetes.
A. Z. Tremp, E. I. Khater, and J. T. Dessens (2008)
J. Biol. Chem. 283, 27604-27611
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Toxoplasma gondii Tic20 is essential for apicoplast protein import.
G. G. van Dooren, C. Tomova, S. Agrawal, B. M. Humbel, and B. Striepen (2008)
PNAS 105, 13574-13579
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
A Novel Actin-Related Protein Is Associated with Daughter Cell Formation in Toxoplasma gondii.
J. L. Gordon, W. L. Beatty, and L. D. Sibley (2008)
Eukaryot. Cell 7, 1500-1512
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Functional Characterization of a Redundant Plasmodium TRAP Family Invasin, TRAP-Like Protein, by Aldolase Binding and a Genetic Complementation Test.
K. Heiss, H. Nie, S. Kumar, T. M. Daly, L. W. Bergman, and K. Matuschewski (2008)
Eukaryot. Cell 7, 1062-1070
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Proteomics and Glycomics Analyses of N-Glycosylated Structures Involved in Toxoplasma gondii-Host Cell Interactions.
S. Fauquenoy, W. Morelle, A. Hovasse, A. Bednarczyk, C. Slomianny, C. Schaeffer, A. Van Dorsselaer, and S. Tomavo (2008)
Mol. Cell. Proteomics 7, 891-910
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Microneme Rhomboid Protease TgROM1 Is Required for Efficient Intracellular Growth of Toxoplasma gondii.
F. Brossier, G. L. Starnes, W. L. Beatty, and L. D. Sibley (2008)
Eukaryot. Cell 7, 664-674
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Microneme protein 8 - a new essential invasion factor in Toxoplasma gondii.
H. Kessler, A. Herm-Gotz, S. Hegge, M. Rauch, D. Soldati-Favre, F. Frischknecht, and M. Meissner (2008)
J. Cell Sci. 121, 947-956
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Role of Ca2+/Calmodulin-PfPKB Signaling Pathway in Erythrocyte Invasion by Plasmodium falciparum.
A. Vaid, D. C. Thomas, and P. Sharma (2008)
J. Biol. Chem. 283, 5589-5597
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Immobilization of the Type XIV Myosin Complex in Toxoplasma gondii.
T. M. Johnson, Z. Rajfur, K. Jacobson, and C. J. Beckers (2007)
Mol. Biol. Cell 18, 3039-3046
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Carbohydrate Metabolism in the Toxoplasma gondii Apicoplast: Localization of Three Glycolytic Isoenzymes, the Single Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex, and a Plastid Phosphate Translocator.
T. Fleige, K. Fischer, D. J. P. Ferguson, U. Gross, and W. Bohne (2007)
Eukaryot. Cell 6, 984-996
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Aldolase provides an unusual binding site for thrombospondin-related anonymous protein in the invasion machinery of the malaria parasite.
J. Bosch, C. A. Buscaglia, B. Krumm, B. P. Ingason, R. Lucas, C. Roach, T. Cardozo, V. Nussenzweig, and W. G. J. Hol (2007)
PNAS 104, 7015-7020
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Two Separate, Conserved Acidic Amino Acid Domains within the Toxoplasma gondii MIC2 Cytoplasmic Tail Are Required for Parasite Survival.
G. L. Starnes, T. J. Jewett, V. B. Carruthers, and L. D. Sibley (2006)
J. Biol. Chem. 281, 30745-30754
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
A Cleavable Propeptide Influences Toxoplasma Infection by Facilitating the Trafficking and Secretion of the TgMIC2-M2AP Invasion Complex.
J. M. Harper, M.-H. Huynh, I. Coppens, F. Parussini, S. Moreno, and V. B. Carruthers (2006)
Mol. Biol. Cell 17, 4551-4563
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Apicoplast fatty acid synthesis is essential for organelle biogenesis and parasite survival in Toxoplasma gondii.
J. Mazumdar, E. H. Wilson, K. Masek, C. A. Hunter, and B. Striepen (2006)
PNAS 103, 13192-13197
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
A Set of Glycosylphosphatidyl Inositol-Anchored Membrane Proteins of Plasmodium falciparum Is Refractory to Genetic Deletion.
P. R. Sanders, L. M. Kats, D. R. Drew, R. A. O'Donnell, M. O'Neill, A. G. Maier, R. L. Coppel, and B. S. Crabb (2006)
Infect. Immun. 74, 4330-4338
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
A MORN-repeat protein is a dynamic component of the Toxoplasma gondii cell division apparatus.
M.-J. Gubbels, S. Vaishnava, N. Boot, J.-F. Dubremetz, and B. Striepen (2006)
J. Cell Sci. 119, 2236-2245
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Structure of the MTIP-MyoA complex, a key component of the malaria parasite invasion motor.
J. Bosch, S. Turley, T. M. Daly, S. M. Bogh, M. L. Villasmil, C. Roach, N. Zhou, J. M. Morrisey, A. B. Vaidya, L. W. Bergman, et al. (2006)
PNAS 103, 4852-4857
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
From the Cover: New insights into myosin evolution and classification.
B. J. Foth, M. C. Goedecke, and D. Soldati (2006)
PNAS 103, 3681-3686
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Unusual Kinetic and Structural Properties Control Rapid Assembly and Turnover of Actin in the Parasite Toxoplasma gondii.
N. Sahoo, W. Beatty, J. Heuser, D. Sept, and L. D. Sibley (2006)
Mol. Biol. Cell 17, 895-906
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Gliding Motility Leads to Active Cellular Invasion by Cryptosporidium parvum Sporozoites.
D. M. Wetzel, J. Schmidt, M. S. Kuhlenschmidt, J. P. Dubey, and L. D. Sibley (2005)
Infect. Immun. 73, 5379-5387
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Conditional Expression of Toxoplasma gondii Apical Membrane Antigen-1 (TgAMA1) Demonstrates That TgAMA1 Plays a Critical Role in Host Cell Invasion.
J. Mital, M. Meissner, D. Soldati, and G. E. Ward (2005)
Mol. Biol. Cell 16, 4341-4349
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Tetracycline analogue-regulated transgene expression in Plasmodium falciparum blood stages using Toxoplasma gondii transactivators.
M. Meissner, E. Krejany, P. R. Gilson, T. F. de Koning-Ward, D. Soldati, and B. S. Crabb (2005)
PNAS 102, 2980-2985
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The Toxoplasma gondii Rhoptry Protein ROP4 Is Secreted into the Parasitophorous Vacuole and Becomes Phosphorylated in Infected Cells.
K. L. Carey, A. M. Jongco, K. Kim, and G. E. Ward (2004)
Eukaryot. Cell 3, 1320-1330
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Proteomic Analysis of Cleavage Events Reveals a Dynamic Two-step Mechanism for Proteolysis of a Key Parasite Adhesive Complex.
X. W. Zhou, M. J. Blackman, S. A. Howell, and V. B. Carruthers (2004)
Mol. Cell. Proteomics 3, 565-576
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
A small-molecule approach to studying invasive mechanisms of Toxoplasma gondii.
K. L. Carey, N. J. Westwood, T. J. Mitchison, and G. E. Ward (2004)
PNAS 101, 7433-7438
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Identification of the membrane receptor of a class XIV myosin in Toxoplasma gondii.
E. Gaskins, S. Gilk, N. DeVore, T. Mann, G. Ward, and C. Beckers (2004)
J. Cell Biol. 165, 383-393
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Intracellular Parasite Invasion Strategies.
L. D. Sibley (2004)
Science 304, 248-253
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Sites of Interaction between Aldolase and Thrombospondin-related Anonymous Protein in Plasmodium.
C. A. Buscaglia, I. Coppens, W. G. J. Hol, and V. Nussenzweig (2003)
Mol. Biol. Cell 14, 4947-4957
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Actin Dynamics Is Controlled by a Casein Kinase II and Phosphatase 2C Interplay on Toxoplasma gondii Toxofilin.
V. Delorme, X. Cayla, G. Faure, A. Garcia, and I. Tardieux (2003)
Mol. Biol. Cell 14, 1900-1912
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Myosin A tail domain interacting protein (MTIP) localizes to the inner membrane complex of Plasmodium sporozoites.
L. W. Bergman, K. Kaiser, H. Fujioka, I. Coppens, T. M. Daly, S. Fox, K. Matuschewski, V. Nussenzweig, and S. H. I. Kappe (2003)
J. Cell Sci. 116, 39-49
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


ADVERTISEMENT
Click Me!

ADVERTISEMENT
Click Me!

To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)