Acidification Activates Toxoplasma gondii Motility and Egress by Enhancing Protein Secretion and Cytolytic Activity.

ABSTRACT: Pathogenic microbes rely on environmental cues to initiate key events during infection such as differentiation, motility, egress and invasion of cells or tissues. Earlier investigations showed that an acidic environment activates motility of the protozoan parasite T. gondii. Conversely, potassium ions, which are abundant in the intracellular milieu that bathes immotile replicating parasites, suppress motility. Since motility is required for efficient parasite cell invasion and egress we sought to better understand its regulation by environmental cues. We found that low pH stimulates motility by triggering Ca2+-dependent secretion of apical micronemes, and that this cue is sufficient to overcome suppression by potassium ions and drive parasite motility, cell invasion and egress. We also dis

SUBMITTER: Roiko MS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4223073 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature