Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 10, 2026

Reconstitution of Actin-Based Motility with Commercially Available Proteins
Published on: October 28, 2022
An Apicomplexan Actin-Binding Protein Serves as a Connector and Lipid Sensor to Coordinate Motility and Invasion
Damien Jacot1, Nicolò Tosetti1, Isa Pires2
1Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel-Servet, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
Abstract:
Apicomplexa exhibit a unique form of substrate-dependent gliding motility central for host cell invasion and parasite dissemination. Gliding is powered by rearward translocation of apically secreted transmembrane adhesins via their interaction with the parasite actomyosin system. We report a conserved armadillo and pleckstrin homology (PH) domain-containing protein, termed glideosome-associated connector (GAC), that mediates apicomplexan gliding motility, invasion, and egress by connecting the micronemal adhesins with the actomyosin system. TgGAC binds to and stabilizes filamentous actin and specifically associates with the transmembrane adhesin TgMIC2. GAC localizes to the apical pole in invasive stages of Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium berghei, and apical positioning of TgGAC depends on an apical lysine methyltransferase, TgAKMT. GAC PH domain also binds to phosphatidic acid, a lipid mediator associated with microneme exocytosis. Collectively, these findings indicate a central role for GAC in spatially and temporally coordinating gliding motility and invasion.
More Related Videos
14:23Quantitative Measurement of Invadopodia-mediated Extracellular Matrix Proteolysis in Single and Multicellular Contexts
Published on: August 27, 2012
12:15The C. elegans Intestine As a Model for Intercellular Lumen Morphogenesis and In Vivo Polarized Membrane Biogenesis at the Single-cell Level: Labeling by Antibody Staining, RNAi Loss-of-function Analy
Published on: October 3, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions
Some...
Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility
Actin cytoskeleton dynamics can produce pushing, pulling, and resistance forces that help the cell to migrate....
Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia
Mechanism of Filopodia Formation
Their main function is to guide migrating cells during normal tissue morphogenesis or cancer metastasis by recognizing and making initial contacts with the extracellular matrix. However, they can also act as stationary cell anchors or help to establish communication...
Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation
Cytoskeletal Accessory Proteins