This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Supplemental material
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Gilbert, L. A.
Right arrow Articles by Bradley, P. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Gilbert, L. A.
Right arrow Articles by Bradley, P. J.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Eukaryotic Cell, January 2007, p. 73-83, Vol. 6, No. 1
1535-9778/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/EC.00309-06
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Toxoplasma gondii Targets a Protein Phosphatase 2C to the Nuclei of Infected Host Cells{triangledown} ,{dagger}

Luke A. Gilbert,1 Sandeep Ravindran,2 Jay M. Turetzky,1 John C. Boothroyd,2 and Peter J. Bradley1,2*

Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1489,1 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305-51242

Received 29 September 2006/ Accepted 23 October 2006

Intracellular pathogens have evolved a wide array of mechanisms to invade and co-opt their host cells for intracellular survival. Apicomplexan parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii employ the action of unique secretory organelles named rhoptries for internalization of the parasite and formation of a specialized niche within the host cell. We demonstrate that Toxoplasma gondii also uses secretion from the rhoptries during invasion to deliver a parasite-derived protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C-hn) into the host cell and direct it to the host nucleus. Delivery to the host nucleus does not require completion of invasion, as evidenced by the fact that parasites blocked in the initial stages of invasion with cytochalasin D are able to target PP2C-hn to the host nucleus. We have disrupted the gene encoding PP2C-hn and shown that PP2C-hn-knockout parasites exhibit a mild growth defect that can be rescued by complementation with the wild-type gene. The delivery of parasite effector proteins via the rhoptries provides a novel mechanism for Toxoplasma to directly access the command center of its host cell during infection by the parasite.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1489. Phone: (310) 825-8386. Fax: (310) 825-5231. E-mail: pbradley{at}ucla.edu.

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 3 November 2006.

{dagger} Supplemental material for this article may be found at http://ec.asm.org/.

Eukaryotic Cell, January 2007, p. 73-83, Vol. 6, No. 1
1535-9778/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/EC.00309-06
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Fox, B. A., Ristuccia, J. G., Gigley, J. P., Bzik, D. J. (2009). Efficient Gene Replacements in Toxoplasma gondii Strains Deficient for Nonhomologous End Joining. Eukaryot Cell 8: 520-529 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Leng, J., Butcher, B. A., Egan, C. E., Abi Abdallah, D. S., Denkers, E. Y. (2009). Toxoplasma gondii Prevents Chromatin Remodeling Initiated by TLR-Triggered Macrophage Activation. J. Immunol. 182: 489-497 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Dunn, J. D., Ravindran, S., Kim, S.-K., Boothroyd, J. C. (2008). The Toxoplasma gondii Dense Granule Protein GRA7 Is Phosphorylated upon Invasion and Forms an Unexpected Association with the Rhoptry Proteins ROP2 and ROP4. Infect. Immun. 76: 5853-5861 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Rome, M. E., Beck, J. R., Turetzky, J. M., Webster, P., Bradley, P. J. (2008). Intervacuolar Transport and Unique Topology of GRA14, a Novel Dense Granule Protein in Toxoplasma gondii. Infect. Immun. 76: 4865-4875 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Phelps, E. D., Sweeney, K. R., Blader, I. J. (2008). Toxoplasma gondii Rhoptry Discharge Correlates with Activation of the Early Growth Response 2 Host Cell Transcription Factor. Infect. Immun. 76: 4703-4712 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Gordon, J. L., Beatty, W. L., Sibley, L. D. (2008). A Novel Actin-Related Protein Is Associated with Daughter Cell Formation in Toxoplasma gondii. Eukaryot Cell 7: 1500-1512 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • DeRocher, A. E., Coppens, I., Karnataki, A., Gilbert, L. A., Rome, M. E., Feagin, J. E., Bradley, P. J., Parsons, M. (2008). A Thioredoxin Family Protein of the Apicoplast Periphery Identifies Abundant Candidate Transport Vesicles in Toxoplasma gondii. Eukaryot Cell 7: 1518-1529 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Boyle, J. P., Saeij, J. P. J., Harada, S. Y., Ajioka, J. W., Boothroyd, J. C. (2008). Expression Quantitative Trait Locus Mapping of Toxoplasma Genes Reveals Multiple Mechanisms for Strain-Specific Differences in Gene Expression. Eukaryot Cell 7: 1403-1414 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Brossier, F., Starnes, G. L., Beatty, W. L., Sibley, L. D. (2008). Microneme Rhomboid Protease TgROM1 Is Required for Efficient Intracellular Growth of Toxoplasma gondii. Eukaryot Cell 7: 664-674 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Nelson, M. M., Jones, A. R., Carmen, J. C., Sinai, A. P., Burchmore, R., Wastling, J. M. (2008). Modulation of the Host Cell Proteome by the Intracellular Apicomplexan Parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Infect. Immun. 76: 828-844 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Dzierszinski, F., Pepper, M., Stumhofer, J. S., LaRosa, D. F., Wilson, E. H., Turka, L. A., Halonen, S. K., Hunter, C. A., Roos, D. S. (2007). Presentation of Toxoplasma gondii Antigens via the Endogenous Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Pathway in Nonprofessional and Professional Antigen-Presenting Cells. Infect. Immun. 75: 5200-5209 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Daher, W., Oria, G., Fauquenoy, S., Cailliau, K., Browaeys, E., Tomavo, S., Khalife, J. (2007). A Toxoplasma gondii Leucine-Rich Repeat Protein Binds Phosphatase Type 1 Protein and Negatively Regulates Its Activity. Eukaryot Cell 6: 1606-1617 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Carruthers, V. B., Suzuki, Y. (2007). Effects of Toxoplasma gondii Infection on the Brain. Schizophr Bull 33: 745-751 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kim, S.-K., Fouts, A. E., Boothroyd, J. C. (2007). Toxoplasma gondii Dysregulates IFN-{gamma}-Inducible Gene Expression in Human Fibroblasts: Insights from a Genome-Wide Transcriptional Profiling. J. Immunol. 178: 5154-5165 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»