Alveolin proteins in the Toxoplasma inner membrane complex form a highly interconnected structure that maintains parasite shape and replication.

ABSTRACT: Apicomplexan parasites possess several specialized structures to invade their host cells and replicate successfully. One of these is the inner membrane complex (IMC), a peripheral membrane-cytoskeletal system underneath the plasma membrane. It is composed of a series of flattened, membrane-bound vesicles and a cytoskeletal subpellicular network (SPN) comprised of intermediate filament-like proteins called alveolins. While the alveolin proteins are conserved throughout the Apicomplexa and the broader Alveolata, their precise functions and interactions remain poorly understood. Here, we describe the function of one of these alveolin proteins in Toxoplasma, IMC6. Disruption of IMC6 resulted in striking morphological defects that led to aberrant invasion and replication but surprisingly minor

SUBMITTER: Back PS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11421793 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature