Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Genetic Manipulation in Δku80 Strains for Functional Genomic Analysis of Toxoplasma gondii
Published on: July 12, 2013
Toxoplasma gondii aspartic protease 1 is not essential in tachyzoites
Valerie Polonais1, Michael Shea, Dominique Soldati-Favre
1Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel-Servet, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland. valerie.polonais@iut.u-clermont1.fr
Abstract:
Aspartic proteases are important virulence factors for pathogens and are recognized as attractive drug targets. Seven aspartic proteases (ASPs) have been identified in Toxoplasma gondii genome. Bioinformatics and phylogenetic analyses regroup them into five monophyletic groups. Among them, TgASP1, a coccidian specific aspartic protease related to the food vacuole plasmepsins, is associated with the secretory pathway in non-dividing cells and relocalizes in close proximity to the nascent inner membrane complex (IMC) of daughter cells during replication. Despite a potential role for TgASP1 in IMC formation, the generation of a conventional knockout of the TgASP1 gene revealed that this protease is not required for T. gondii tachyzoite survival or for proper IMC biogenesis.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Toxoplasmosis
Allosteric Proteins-ATCase
Aspartate transcarbamoylase (ATCase) is a cytosolic enzyme that catalyzes the condensation of L-aspartate and carbamoyl phosphate to N-carbamoyl-L-aspartate. This reaction is the first step in pyrimidine biosynthesis. UTP and CTP, the end products of the pyrimidine synthesis pathway,...
Caspases
Amebiasis
American Trypanosomiasis

