Structural and functional dissection of Toxoplasma gondii armadillo repeats only protein

Rhoptries are club-shaped, regulated secretory organelles that cluster at the apical pole of apicomplexan parasites. Their discharge is essential for invasion and the establishment of an intracellular lifestyle. Little is known about rhoptry biogenesis and recycling during parasite division. In Toxoplasma gondii, positioning of rhoptries involves the armadillo repeats only protein (ARO) and myosin F (MyoF). Here, we show that two ARO partners, ARO-interacting protein (AIP) and adenylate cyclase β (ACβ) localize to a rhoptry subcompartment. In absence of AIP, ACβ disappears from the rhoptries. By assessing the contribution of each ARO armadillo (ARM) repeat, we provide evidence that ARO is multifunctional, participating not only in positioning but also in clustering of rhoptries. Structural analyses show that ARO resembles the myosin-binding domain of the Caenorhabditis elegans myosin chaperone UNC-45. A conserved patch of aromatic and acidic residues denotes the putative MyoF-binding site, and the overall arrangement of the ARM repeats explains the dramatic consequences of deleting each of them. Finally, Plasmodium falciparum ARO functionally complements ARO depletion and interacts with the same partners, highlighting the conservation of rhoptry biogenesis in Apicomplexa.