Background: Toxoplasma gondii is a common intracellular parasite of diverse host cells.
Results:The parasite can produce phosphatidylethanolamine in its mitochondrion, endoplasmic reticulum, and parasitophorous vacuole, which together allow versatile lipid biogenesis. Conclusion: Multiple routes of lipid synthesis ensure parasite survival in discrete nutrient milieus. Significance: T. gondii offers an instructive model to study membrane biology of parasitic protists.
Background:Many genes and enzymes of lipid metabolism in T. gondii remain uncharacterized. Results: The parasite secretes a soluble phosphatidylserine decarboxylase (TgPSD1), which acts on biological membranes. Conclusion: T. gondii uses its secretory apparatus to modify lipids in the parasitophorous vacuole membrane and host cell membranes. Significance: Secreted TgPSD1 reduces externalized phosphatidylserine on host cells, enabling evasion of phagocytosis.
Background: Choline phosphorylation is the first step of phosphatidylcholine synthesis. Results: Toxoplasma gondii expresses a novel choline kinase forming cytosolic clusters. Its conditional mutagenesis identifies a cryptic exon-promoter. Besides, the parasite mutant displays a normal growth despite a substantial depletion of PtdCho. Conclusion: Plasticity of gene expression and membrane biogenesis are revealed. Significance: Adaptation of an intracellular pathogen to metabolic perturbations and disparate host cells can thus be ensured.
Background: cAMP research in intracellular parasites remains underappreciated, and it requires a specific method for cyclic nucleotide regulation. Results: Optogenetic induction of cAMP in T. gondii affects host-cell invasion, stage-specific expression, and parasite differentiation. The underlying method allows a versatile control of parasite cAMP. Conclusions: Optogenetic parasite strains offer valuable tools for dissecting cAMP-mediated processes. Significance: The method is applicable to other gene-tractable intertwined systems.
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