Expression and characterization of recombinant pyruvate kinase from Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites

Acidocalcisomes in Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites.

Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites were loaded with the fluorescent indicator fura 2 to investigate the transport mechanisms involved in maintaining their intracellular Ca2+ homoeostasis. The mitochondrial ATPase inhibitor oligomycin and the endoplasmic-reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitor thapsigargin increased the intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), thus indicating the requirement for ATP and...

Immunogenicity of Gamma-Irradiated Toxoplasma gondii Tachyzoites in Mice

The Immunogenicity of γ-irradiated tachyzoites of a highly virulent strain of Toxoplasma gondii (RH strain) was investigated. Immunized mice survived challenge infection and displayed increased interferon gamma (INF-γ ) production. On the other hand, nonimmunized controls died after 10 days and displayed a significantly decreased lymphoproliferative response to Concanavalin A (Con A). No tachyz...

The Crystal Structure of Toxoplasma gondii Pyruvate Kinase 1

BACKGROUND Pyruvate kinase (PK), which catalyzes the final step in glycolysis converting phosphoenolpyruvate to pyruvate, is a central metabolic regulator in most organisms. Consequently PK represents an attractive therapeutic target in cancer and human pathogens, like Apicomplexans. The phylum Aplicomplexa, a group of exclusively parasitic organisms, includes the genera Plasmodium, Cryptospori...

High-level expression and evaluation of the antigenicity of a recombinant Toxoplasma gondii GRA2 Protein

Identification of compounds that suppress Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites and bradyzoites

Drug treatment for toxoplasmosis is problematic, because current drugs cannot eradicate latent infection with Toxoplasma gondii and can cause bone marrow toxicity. Because latent infection remains after treatment, relapse of infection is a problem in both infections in immunocompromised patients and in congenitally infected patients. To identify lead compounds for novel drugs against Toxoplasma...