An insertional trap for conditional gene expression in Toxoplasma gondii: identification of TAF250 as an essential gene.

ABSTRACT: Toxoplasmosis is characterized by fast lytic replication cycles leading to severe tissue lesions. Successful host cell invasion is essential for pathogenesis. The division cycle of Toxoplasma gondii is characterized by an unusual cell cycle progression and a distinct internal budding mechanism. To identify essential genes involved in the lytic cycle we devised an insertional gene trapping strategy using the Tet-transactivator system. In essence, a random, active promoter is displaced with a tetracycline regulatable promoter, which if in an essential gene, will result in a conditionally lethal phenotype upon tetracycline addition. We isolated eight mutants with growth defects, two of which displayed modest invasion defects, one of which had an additional cell cycle defect. The trapped loci

SUBMITTER: Jammallo L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3053073 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature