Polymorphic Secreted Kinases Are Key Virulence Factors in Toxoplasmosis

Overview

Journal Science

Specialty Science

Date 2006 Dec 16

PMID 17170306

Citations 314

Authors

J P J Saeij

J P Boyle

S Coller

S Taylor

L D Sibley

E T Brooke-Powell

J W Ajioka

J C Boothroyd

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The majority of known Toxoplasma gondii isolates from Europe and North America belong to three clonal lines that differ dramatically in their virulence, depending on the host. To identify the responsible genes, we mapped virulence in F(1) progeny derived from crosses between type II and type III strains, which we introduced into mice. Five virulence (VIR) loci were thus identified, and for two of these, genetic complementation showed that a predicted protein kinase (ROP18 and ROP16, respectively) is the key molecule. Both are hypervariable rhoptry proteins that are secreted into the host cell upon invasion. These results suggest that secreted kinases unique to the Apicomplexa are crucial in the host-pathogen interaction.

Citing Articles

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Type I TR and ROP16 Synergistically Downregulate IL-12 to Inhibit Host Reactive Oxygen Species Production.

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Analysis and Characterization of the Immunogenicity of Rhoptry Protein 18.

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Perforation of the host cell plasma membrane during invasion requires rhoptry exocytosis.

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