Toxoplasma gondii F-actin forms an extensive filamentous network required for material exchange and parasite maturation

Javier Periz, Jamie Whitelaw, Clare Harding, Simon Gras, Mario Igor Del Rosario Minina, Fernanda Latorre-Barragan, Leandro Lemgruber, Madita Alice Reimer, Robert Insall, Aoife Heaslip*, Markus Meissner*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

76 Citations (Scopus)
13 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Apicomplexan actin is important during the parasite's life cycle. Its polymerization kinetics are unusual, permitting only short, unstable F-actin filaments. It has not been possible to study actin in vivo and so its physiological roles have remained obscure, leading to models distinct from conventional actin behaviour. Here a modified version of the commercially available actin-chromobody was tested as a novel tool for visualising F-actin dynamics in Toxoplasma gondii. Cb labels filamentous actin structures within the parasite cytosol and labels an extensive F-actin network that connects parasites within the parasitophorous vacuole and allows vesicles to be exchanged between parasites. In the absence of actin, parasites lack a residual body and inter-parasite connections and grow in an asynchronous and disorganized manner. Collectively, these data identify new roles for actin in the intracellular phase of the parasites lytic cycle and provide a robust new tool for imaging parasitic F-actin dynamics.
Original languageEnglish
Article numbere24119
Number of pages29
JournaleLife
Volume6
Early online date21 Mar 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 31 Mar 2017
Externally publishedYes

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