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The secreted kinase ROP18 defends Toxoplasma 's border
Author(s) -
Fentress Sarah J.,
Sibley L. David
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/bies.201100054
Subject(s) - vacuole , parasite hosting , biology , toxoplasma gondii , immunity , microbiology and biotechnology , innate immune system , rhoptry , virulence , organelle , cytosol , apicomplexa , kinase , immune system , gene , cytoplasm , genetics , biochemistry , plasmodium falciparum , immunology , antibody , world wide web , computer science , malaria , enzyme
Toxoplasma gondii is a highly successful parasite capable of infecting virtually all warm‐blooded animals by actively invading nucleated host cells and forming a modified compartment where it replicates within the cytosol. The parasite‐containing vacuole provides a safe haven, even in professional phagocytes such as macrophages, which normally destroy foreign microbes. In an effort to eliminate the parasite, the host up‐regulates a family of immunity‐related p47 GTPases (IRGs), which are recruited to the parasite‐containing vacuole, resulting in membrane rupture and digestion of the parasite. To avoid this fate, highly virulent strains of Toxoplasma coat the external surface of their vacuole with a secretory serine/threonine kinase, known as ROP18. At this host‐pathogen interface, ROP18 phosphorylates and inactivates IRGs, thereby protecting the parasite from killing. These findings reveal a novel molecular mechanism by which the parasite disarms host innate immunity