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The glideosome: a molecular machine powering motility and host-cell invasion by Apicomplexa
Anthony Keeley1, Dominique Soldati
1Department of Biological Sciences, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
Abstract:
The apicomplexans are obligate intracellular protozoan parasites that rely on gliding motility for their migration across biological barriers and for host-cell invasion and egress. This unusual form of substrate-dependent motility is powered by the "glideosome", a macromolecular complex consisting of adhesive proteins that are released apically and translocated to the posterior pole of the parasite by the action of an actomyosin system anchored in the inner membrane complex of the parasite. Recent studies have revealed new insights into the composition and biogenesis of Toxoplasma gondii myosin-A motor complex and have identified an exciting set of small molecules that can interfere with different aspects of glideosome function.
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