Apicomplexa micropore: history, function, and formation

Yang, Jiong; Long, Shaojun; Hide, Geoff; Lun, Zhao-Rong; Lai, De-Hua

Abstract

The micropore, a mysterious structure found in apicomplexan species, was recently shown to be essential for nutrient acquisition in Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii. However, the differences between the micropores of these two parasites questions the nature of a general apicomplexan micropore structure and whether the formation process model from Plasmodium can be applied to other apicomplexans. We analyzed the literature on different apicomplexan micropores and found that T. gondii probably harbors a more representative micropore type than the more widely studied ones in Plasmodium. Using recent knowledge of the Kelch 13 (K13) protein interactome and gene depletion phenotypes in the T. gondii micropore, we propose a model of micropore formation, thus enriching our wider understanding of micropore protein function. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.]

Citation

Yang, J., Long, S., Hide, G., Lun, Z., & Lai, D. (2024). Apicomplexa micropore: history, function, and formation. Trends in Parasitology, 40(5), S1471-4922(24)00079-5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2024.03.008

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 21, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Apr 17, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024-04
• Deposit Date: May 2, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 18, 2025
• Journal: Trends in parasitology
• Print ISSN: 1471-4922
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 40
• Issue: 5
• Pages: S1471-4922(24)00079-5
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2024.03.008
• Keywords: EPS15, Kelch 13, formation model, micropore, Apicomplexa