Toxoplasma gondii apicoplast-resident ferredoxin is an essential electron transfer protein for the MEP isoprenoid-biosynthetic pathway.

Apicomplexan parasites, such as Toxoplasma gondii, are unusual in that each cell contains a single apicoplast, a plastid-like organelle that compartmentalizes enzymes involved in the essential 2C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate pathway of isoprenoid biosynthesis. The last two enzymatic steps in this organellar pathway require electrons from a redox carrier. However, the small iron-sulfur cluster-containing protein ferredoxin, a likely candidate for this function, has not been investigated in this context.

Toxoplasma gondii plaque assays revisited: Improvements for ultrastructural and quantitative evaluation of lytic parasite growth.

Lytic growth of intracellular Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoite stages over a period of days results in plaques within mononolayers of host cells. Plaque assays are in frequent use to isolate single clones and to investigate invasion, replication and egress over a longer time frame. To allow correlating plaque morphology and/or size with ultrastructural examination of individual parasites we introduce a simple protocol for correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) of entire plaques.

Protein-protein interaction studies provide evidence for electron transfer from ferredoxin to lipoic acid synthase in Toxoplasma gondii.

The only known redox system in the apicoplast, a plastid-like organelle of apicomplexan parasites, is ferredoxin and ferredoxin-associated reductase. Ferredoxin donates electrons to different enzymes, presumably including lipoate synthase (LipA), which is essential for fatty acid biosynthesis. We recombinantly expressed and characterized LipA from the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, generated LipA-specific antibodies and confirmed the apicoplast localization of LipA.