Stage-specific expression and divergent functions of two insulinase-like proteases associated with host infectivity in Cryptosporidium.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The determinants of differences in host infectivity among Cryptosporidium species and subtypes are poorly understood. Results from recent comparative genomic studies suggest that gains and losses of multicopy subtelomeric genes encoding insulinase-like proteases (INS-19 and INS-20 in Cryptosporidium parvum and their orthologs in closely related species) may potentially contribute to these differences.

Methodology/principal findings

In this study, we investigated the expression and biological function of the INS-19 and INS-20 of C. parvum. CRISPR/Cas9 was used to endogenously tag both genes with the hemagglutinin epitope. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed that INS-19 and INS-20 are expressed at different developmental stages of the pathogen. Although knockout of

SUBMITTER: Huang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11760560 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature