A novel Toxoplasma gondii calcium-dependent protein kinase.

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that infects all types of cells in humans. A family of calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs), previously identified as important in the development of plants and protists, was recently shown to play a role in the infectivity of apicomplexans, and in motility and host cell invasion in particular. We report here the isolation of a new calcium-dependent protein kinase gene from the human toxoplasmosis parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. The gene consists of 12 exons. The encoded protein, TgCDPK4, consists of the four characteristic domains of members of the CDPK family and is most similar to PfCDPK2 from Plasmodium falciparum. We measured TgCDPK4 activity, induced by calcium influx, using a kinase assay. A calcium chelator (EGTA) inhibited this activity. These findings provide evidence of signal transduction involving members of the CDPK family in T. gondii.

• Authors: M Tzen, R Benarous, J Dupouy-Camet, M P Roisin
• Journal: Parasite (Paris, France) (Parasite) Vol. 14 Issue 2 Pg. 141-7 (Jun 2007) ISSN: 1252-607X [Print] France
• PMID: 17645186 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Coccidiostats
• Protein Kinases
• calcium-dependent protein kinase
• Calcium

Topics

• Amino Acid Sequence
• Animals
• Calcium (metabolism)
• Coccidiostats (pharmacology)
• Exons
• Host-Parasite Interactions
• Humans
• Mice
• Molecular Sequence Data
• NIH 3T3 Cells
• Protein Kinases (chemistry, genetics, metabolism)
• Sequence Alignment
• Signal Transduction
• Toxoplasma (enzymology, genetics, pathogenicity)