Sarcoendoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase is an essential and druggable lipid-dependent ion pump in Toxoplasma gondii.

ABSTRACT: Toxoplasma gondii is a common intracellular pathogenic protist causing acute and chronic infections in many warm-blooded organisms. Calcium homeostasis is pivotal for its asexual reproduction in mammalian host cells, and sarcoendoplasmic reticulum calcium-ATPase (SERCA) is considered vital for maintaining ion homeostasis within the parasite. This work studied the physiological relevance, structure-function relationship, mechanism, and therapeutic value of SERCA in the acutely-infectious tachyzoite stage of T. gondii. A conditional depletion of SERCA, located in the endoplasmic reticulum, by auxin-inducible degradation is lethal for the parasite due to severe defects in its replication, gliding motility, and invasion. The observed phenotypes are caused by dysregulated calcium ion homeostasi

SUBMITTER: Cruz-Miron R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12056192 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature