Requirement of microtubules for secretion of a micronemal protein CpTSP4 in the invasive stage of the apicomplexan Cryptosporidium parvum.

ABSTRACT: The zoonotic Cryptosporidium parvum is a global contributor to infantile diarrheal diseases and opportunistic infections in immunocompromised or weakened individuals. Like other apicomplexans, it possesses several specialized secretory organelles, including micronemes, rhoptry, and dense granules. However, the understanding of cryptosporidial micronemal composition and secretory pathway remains limited. Here, we report a new micronemal protein in C. parvum, namely, thrombospondin (TSP)-repeat domain-containing protein-4 (CpTSP4), providing insights into these ambiguities. Immunostaining and enzyme-linked assays show that CpTSP4 is prestored in the micronemes of unexcysted sporozoites but secreted during sporozoite excystation, gliding, and invasion. In excysted sporozoites, C

SUBMITTER: Wang D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10865969 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature