Parasite-Specific Protein Helps Toxoplasma Adapt to Crowded Conditions
Scientists identified a previously unknown way that the parasite Toxoplasma can adapt to growing in crowded environments of tissue cysts, and identified the protein TgPRO, as a dedicated regulator of metabolic gene expression in parasites. The post Parasite-Specific Protein Helps Toxoplasma Adapt to Crowded Conditions appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News .
Toxoplasma gondii is a worldwide infective parasite that can cause severe symptoms in weakened immune systems and fetuses. During chronic infection, hundreds of parasites can accumulate in tissue cysts within brain or muscle cells, leading to crowded conditions that strain their metabolism. Researchers from Whitehead Institute at MIT have identified a parasite-specific protein, TgPRO, that helps Toxoplasma manage oxidative stress and maintain redox balance during crowding.
This protein regulates metabolic gene expression in apicomplexans, the group of parasites that includes Toxoplasma and Plasmodium, the cause of malaria. Inhibition of pathways controlled by TgPRO could make Toxoplasma more vulnerable to antiparasitic drugs inducing oxidative stress. The protein attaches to specific RNA messages, stabilizing them and affecting nutrient use, mitochondrial activity, and iron-sulfur cluster assembly, which are crucial for enzyme function. The discovery could lead to future therapeutic strategies for treating Toxoplasma infections.
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