Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 17, 2026
09:13
Understanding the Development of Compensatory Pathways in a Mutant Malaria Parasite Harbouring Hypomorphic Allele of Plant-Like Kinases
Published on: November 22, 2024
Protein palmitoylation and pathogenesis in apicomplexan parasites
Maria Martha Corvi1, Andres Mariano Alonso, Marina Cecilia Caballero
1Laboratorio de Parasitologia Molecular, Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (IIBINTECH), CONICET-Universidad Nacional de General San Martín, Intendente Marino Km 8,2, P.O. Box 164, Chascomús, B7130IWA Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Journal of Biomedicine & Biotechnology
|October 25, 2012
Summary
Protein palmitoylation is crucial for apicomplexan parasites, like Toxoplasma gondii, to infect cells and cause disease. This process impacts parasite replication, invasion, and movement, highlighting its role in pathogenesis.
Area of Science:
- Parasitology
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Apicomplexan parasites are intracellular protozoans responsible for significant diseases.
- Pathogenesis depends on host-cell infection and intracellular replication.
- Protein palmitoylation influences various cellular processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of protein palmitoylation in apicomplexan parasite pathogenesis.
- To highlight the impact of palmitoylation on key parasitic functions.
Main Methods:
- Literature review on protein palmitoylation and apicomplexan biology.
- Analysis of existing research on palmitoylation in Toxoplasma gondii.
Main Results:
- Protein palmitoylation affects critical apicomplexan processes including replication, invasion, and gliding motility.
- This post-translational modification is essential for the life cycle and pathogenicity of these parasites.
Conclusions:
- Protein palmitoylation is a key factor in apicomplexan parasite pathogenesis.
- Targeting protein palmitoylation could offer novel strategies against apicomplexan infections.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Diversity of Protists II
Alveolates are a group of organisms recognized by the presence of alveoli, which are cytoplasmic sacs located beneath the cell membrane. While their function remains uncertain, alveoli may help regulate water balance by controlling how much water enters and leaves the cell. In dinoflagellates, these structures may serve as armor plates. There are three major types of alveolates: ciliates, which move using cilia; dinoflagellates, which use flagella for movement; and apicomplexans, which are...
01:42Phosphoinositides and PIPs
Phosphoinositides are a group of phospholipids containing a glycerol backbone with two fatty acid chains and a phosphate attached to a myoinositol sugar ring. The inositol head group extends into the cytoplasm, where it is modified by adding phosphate groups to form phosphatidylinositol phosphates or PIPs.
Different phosphoinositides are synthesized and recruited on the cytosolic face of the plasma membrane. The localization of specific phosphoinositides concentrated in separate membrane...
Different phosphoinositides are synthesized and recruited on the cytosolic face of the plasma membrane. The localization of specific phosphoinositides concentrated in separate membrane...
01:32Lipids as Anchors
In the plasma membrane, the lipids forming the bilayer can also act as an anchor to tether proteins to the membrane. The three main types of lipid anchors found in eukaryotes are – prenyl groups, fatty acyl groups, and glycosylphosphatidylinositol or GPI groups. Prenyl and fatty acyl groups act as anchors on the cytosolic surface of the membrane, whereas GPI anchors proteins on the extracellular side.
The carboxy-terminal of most of the prenylated proteins, such as Ras proteins, contains the...
The carboxy-terminal of most of the prenylated proteins, such as Ras proteins, contains the...
01:28Fungal Phylum Microsporidia
Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular fungi that were initially classified as protists but were later reclassified based on phylogenetic, molecular, and structural evidence linking them to the Chytridiomycota. These unicellular, non-motile organisms are highly specialized parasites that infect a wide range of animal hosts, including humans. They have evolved extensive genomic and metabolic reductions, making them highly dependent on their hosts for survival.Morphology and Genomic...
01:25cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase Pathways
Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP) is an essential second messenger that activates protein kinase A (PKA) and regulates various biological processes. A single epinephrine molecule binds to GPCR and activates several heterotrimeric G proteins, each stimulating multiple adenylyl cyclase, amplifying the signal, and synthesizing large numbers of cAMP molecules. Small changes in cAMP concentration affect PKA activity. The binding of four cAMP molecules induces a conformational change in PKA,...
01:25Colonisation of Pathogens
Pathogen colonization of host tissues is a critical step in the development of infectious diseases. Various pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa, have evolved complex strategies to attach to, invade, and persist within host environments. These mechanisms enable pathogens to establish infections, evade immune responses, and resist antimicrobial treatments.Attachment to Host CellsIn bacteria, colonization typically begins with adherence to host epithelial...