Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2025

Ultrastructural Expansion Microscopy in Three In Vitro Life Cycle Stages of Trypanosoma cruzi
Published on: May 12, 2023
Structures of Native Doublet Microtubules from Trichomonas vaginalis Reveal Parasite-Specific Proteins as Potential
Abstract:
Doublet microtubules (DMTs) are flagellar components required for the protist Trichomonas vaginalis ( Tv ) to swim through the human genitourinary tract to cause trichomoniasis, the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease. Lack of DMT structures has prevented structure-guided drug design to manage Tv infection. Here, we determined the cryo-EM structure of native Tv- DMTs, identifying 29 unique proteins, including 18 microtubule inner proteins and 9 microtubule outer proteins. While the A-tubule is simplistic compared to DMTs of other organisms, the B-tubule features specialized, parasite-specific proteins, like Tv FAP40 and Tv FAP35 that form filaments near the inner and outer junctions, respectively, to stabilize DMTs and enable Tv locomotion. Notably, a small molecule, assigned as IP6, is coordinated within a pocket of Tv FAP40 and has characteristics of a drug molecule. This first atomic model of the Tv -DMT highlights the diversity of eukaryotic motility machinery and provides a structural framework to inform the rational design of therapeutics.
More Related Videos
14:26Purification of Extracellular Trypanosomes, Including African, from Blood by Anion-Exchangers Diethylaminoethyl-cellulose Columns
Published on: April 6, 2019
08:02Extracting Modified Microtubules from Mammalian Cells to Study Microtubule-Protein Complexes by Cryo-Electron Microscopy
Published on: March 3, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Microtubule Formation
Microtubules in Cell Motility
Destabilization of Microtubules
Microtubules
Microtubules have two structurally similar globular protein subunits: α and β tubulins. In the cytosol, the α and β tubulins form a heterodimer....
Assembly of Complex Microtubule Structures
Drugs that Destabilize Microtubules