Publications by authors named "Rebecca R Pasquarelli"

Article Synopsis
  • Unlabelled possesses a unique secretory system with specialized organelles essential for its life cycle, differing significantly from typical eukaryotic structures.
  • The research identifies a crucial protein (ULP1) related to eukaryotic trafficking factors, whose depletion impacts parasite fitness by affecting key processes like invasion and replication.
  • Eleven additional Golgi-associated proteins were discovered through proximity labeling, highlighting potential new targets for therapeutic development against apicomplexan parasites that impact human health.
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Toxoplasma gondii divides by endodyogeny, in which two daughter buds are formed within the cytoplasm of the maternal cell using the inner membrane complex (IMC) as a scaffold. During endodyogeny, components of the IMC are synthesized and added sequentially to the nascent daughter buds in a tightly regulated manner. We previously showed that the early recruiting proteins IMC32 and IMC43 form an essential daughter bud assembly complex which lays the foundation of the daughter cell scaffold in T.

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Unlabelled: possesses a highly polarized secretory pathway that contains both broadly conserved eukaryotic organelles and unique apicomplexan organelles which play essential roles in the parasite's lytic cycle. As in other eukaryotes, the Golgi apparatus sorts and modifies proteins prior to their distribution to downstream organelles. Many of the typical trafficking factors found involved in these processes are missing from apicomplexan genomes, suggesting that these parasites have evolved unique proteins to fill these roles.

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The inner membrane complex (IMC) of Toxoplasma gondii is essential for all phases of the parasite's life cycle. One of its most critical roles is to act as a scaffold for the assembly of daughter buds during replication by endodyogeny. While many daughter IMC proteins have been identified, most are recruited after bud initiation and are not essential for parasite fitness.

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Article Synopsis
  • The inner membrane complex (IMC) is crucial for parasite functions like movement, invasion, and replication, organized into distinct regions defined by specific proteins.
  • The daughter protein IMC29 is vital for parasite replication, and its deletion leads to severe growth and virulence defects in parasites.
  • This study identifies new IMC proteins associated with daughter buds, revealing previously unknown aspects of the IMC's structure and functionality, especially concerning early stages of parasite division.
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The cytoskeleton of Toxoplasma gondii is composed of the inner membrane complex (IMC) and an array of underlying microtubules that provide support at the periphery of the parasite. Specific subregions of the IMC carry out distinct roles in replication, motility, and host cell invasion. Building on our previous biotinylation (BioID) experiments of the IMC, we identified here a novel protein that localizes to discrete puncta that are embedded in the parasite's cytoskeleton along the IMC sutures.

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The inner membrane complex (IMC) is a unique organelle of apicomplexan parasites that plays critical roles in parasite motility, host cell invasion, and replication. Despite the common functions of the organelle, relatively few IMC proteins are conserved across the phylum and the precise roles of many IMC components remain to be characterized. Here, we identify a novel component of the IMC (IMC32) that localizes to the body portion of the IMC and is recruited to developing daughter buds early during endodyogeny.

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