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Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry, Vol. 49, 445-454, April 2001, Copyright © 2001, The Histochemical Society, Inc.

ARTICLE

Calmodulin Distribution and the Actomyosin Cytoskeleton in Toxoplasma gondii

Nathalie Pezzella–D'Alessandroa, Hervé Le Moala, Annie Bonhommea, Audrey Valerea, Christophe Kleinb, Jorge Gomez–Marinc, and Jean-Michel Pinona
a UPRES EA 2070 "Interactions cellules-cellules et cellules-parasites," IFR 53, Reims, France
b UPRES EA 2063 "Médicaments anticancéreux: interactions moléculaires et cellulaires," IFR 53, Reims, France
c Grupo Patologia Infecciosa, Hospital San Juan de Dios, Universidad Nacional de Bogota, Bogota, Colombia

Correspondence to: Annie Bonhomme, UPRES EA 2070, IFR, 53-51 rue Cognacq Jay, 51095 Reims Cedex, France. E-mail: annie.bonhomme@univ-reims.fr

The gliding motility of the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii and its invasion of cells are powered by an actin–myosin motor. We have studied the spatial distribution and relationship between these two cytoskeleton proteins and calmodulin (CaM), the Ca2+-dependent protein involved in invasion by T. gondii. A 3D reconstruction using labeling and tomographic studies showed that actin was present as a V-like structure in the conoidal part of the parasite. The myosin distribution overlapped that of actin, and CaM was concentrated at the center of the apical pole. We demonstrated that the actomyosin network, CaM, and myosin light-chain kinases are confined to the apical pole of the T. gondii tachyzoite. MLCK could act as an intermediate molecule between CaM and the cytoskeleton proteins. We have developed a model of the organization of the actomyosin–CaM complex and the steps of a signaling pathway for parasite motility.

(J Histochem Cytochem 49:445–453, 2001)

Key Words: T. gondii, calmodulin, actomyosin complex, MLCK, confocal microscopy, 3D reconstruction


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