The Role of Potassium and Host Calcium Signaling inToxoplasma gondiiegress

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular parasite, is capable of invading virtually any nucleated cell. Active invasion by the parasite is a precise process and intracellular parasites reside and replicate inside a parasitophorous vacuole (PV). The membrane of the PV functions as a molecular sieve allowing for its ionic milieu to be in equilibrium with the host cytosol. The parasite would thus be exposed to the ionic fluctuations of the host cytoplasm, such as increases in host cytosolic Ca 2+ during Ca 2+ signaling events. Ca 2+ is a universal signaling molecule and both the host cell and T. gondii will utilize Ca 2+ signaling to stimulate diverse cellular functions. Using T. gondii tachyzoites and host cells expressing genetically encoded Ca 2+ indicators, we demonstrate that host Ca 2+ signaling impacts intracellular Ca 2+ levels of the parasite. We propose that Ca 2+ influx derived from host Ca 2+ signaling into the parasite is utilized to maintain the intracellular Ca 2+ stores replenished as the parasite replicates within the low Ca 2+ environment of the host cell.Intracellular Ca 2+ store(s) release is needed to reach the initiation spike in Ca 2+ that meets the threshold of Ca 2+ needed to initiate the tightly coordinated process of egress. Post activation of the signal and subsequent microneme secretion, would cause breakdown of the host cell and allow for extracellular Ca 2+ influx, causing a second, larger spike in Ca 2+ and activation of the glideosome, the main motility machinery. To directly deliver precise concentrations of ions needed for egress, we used patch-clamped infected host cells and monitored parasite egress. In doing so, we discovered an alternative role for K + in timing parasite egress. This is the first study using wholecell patch clamp to study the role of ions such as K + and Ca 2+ in T. gondii egress. Author SummaryToxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite that causes disease by engaging in multiple rounds of a lytic cycle which consists of invasion, replication inside a parasitophorous vacuole (PV) and egress, resulting in lysis of the host cell. In intracellular parasites, the release of Ca 2+ from intracellular stores forms part of a series of signaling events that culminate in stimulation of motility and egress. This means that intracellular parasites must be able to uptake Ca 2+ while replicating to keep their intracellular stores filled to be used during egress. This is not an insignificant task considering that they are inside a PV surrounded by the host cytosol which contains Ca 2+ below 100 nM. We present data showing that the host Ca 2+ increases are able to 3 reach the parasite cytosol through a Ca 2+ influx mechanism sensitive to nifedipine. This influx causes oscillations that are the result of Ca 2+ increase and re-uptake by intracellular stores. A Ca 2+ threshold was needed for egress, extracellular Ca 2+ influx was relevant for egress and potassium had a modulatory effect on egress. We used infected patched host cells, a novel approach that leaves the host ...

Ferlins and TgDOC2 in Toxoplasma Microneme, Rhoptry and Dense Granule Secretion

“…Note that the invasion process completes in less than a minute and is shown in a stretched-out time window. The two spikes in [Ca 2+ ] c at the time of egress correspond with the release of intracellular stores followed by the influx of extracellular Ca 2+ , while the [Ca 2+ ] c oscillates during gliding in concert with bursts of motility [ 4 ]. The activity of DOC2 and FER1 and FER2 is also indicated.…”