Author response: Apicomplexan-like parasites are polyphyletic and widely but selectively dependent on cryptic plastid organelles

Janouškovec, Jan; Paskerova, Gita G.; Miroliubova, Tatiana S.; Mikhailov, Kirill V.; Birley, Thomas; Aleoshin, Vladimir V.; Simdyanov, Timur G.

doi:10.7554/elife.49662.029

Cited by 2 publications

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Toxoplasma gondii importin α shows weak auto-inhibition

Bhambid

Dey

Walunj

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Importin α is a nuclear transporter that binds to nuclear localization signals (NLSs), consisting of 7-20 positively charged amino acids found within cargo proteins. In addition to cargo binding, intramolecular interactions also occur within the importin α protein due to binding between the importin β-binding (IBB) domain and the NLS-binding sites, a phenomenon called auto-inhibition. The interactions causing auto-inhibition are driven by a stretch of basic residues, similar to an NLS, in the IBB domain. Consistent with this, importin α proteins that do not have some of these basic residues lack auto-inhibition; a naturally occurring example of such a protein is found in the apicomplexan parasite Plasmodium falciparum . In this report, we show that importin α from another apicomplexan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii , harbors basic residues (KKR) in the IBB domain and exhibits auto-inhibition. This protein has a long, unstructured hinge motif (between the IBB domain and the NLS-binding sites) that does not contribute to auto-inhibition. However, the IBB domain may have a higher propensity to form an α-helical structure, positioning the wild-type KKR motif in an orientation that results in weaker interactions with the NLS-binding site than a KRR mutant. We conclude that the importin α protein from T. gondii shows auto-inhibition, exhibiting a different phenotype from that of P. falciparum importin α. However, our data indicate that T. gondii importin α may have a low strength of auto-inhibition. We hypothesize that low levels of auto-inhibition may confer an advantage to these important human pathogens.

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Toxoplasma gondii importin α shows weak auto-inhibition

Bhambid

Dey

Walunj

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Multilocus Sequence Typing as a Useful Tool for the Study of the Genetic Diversity and Population Structure ofCryptosporidiumSpp.

Sučik

Valenčáková

2023

Folia Veterinaria

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One of the most important aquatic parasites in industrialized countries, Cryptosporidium spp., is a major cause of diarrheal disease in humans and animals worldwide. The contingent evolution of cryptosporidia with hosts, host adaptation, and geographic variation contributed to the creation of species subtypes, thereby shaping their population genetic structures. Multilocus typing tools for population genetic characterizations of transmission dynamics and delineation of mechanisms for the emergence of virulent subtypes have played an important role in improving our understanding of the transmission of this parasite. However, to better understand the significance of different subtypes with clinical disease manifestations and transmission risks, a large number of samples and preferably from different geographical areas need to be analyzed. This review provides an analysis of genetic variation through multilocus sequence typing, provides an overview of subtypes, typing gene markers for Cryptosporidium parvum, Cryptosporidium hominis, Cryptosporidium muris and Cryptosporidium andersoni genotypes and an overview of the hosts of these parasites.

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Author response: Apicomplexan-like parasites are polyphyletic and widely but selectively dependent on cryptic plastid organelles

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

Toxoplasma gondii importin α shows weak auto-inhibition

Toxoplasma gondii importin α shows weak auto-inhibition

Multilocus Sequence Typing as a Useful Tool for the Study of the Genetic Diversity and Population Structure ofCryptosporidiumSpp.

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