Secondary structure and X-ray crystallographic analysis of the Glideosome-Associated Connector (GAC) from Toxoplasma gondii
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Published version
Author(s)
Matthews, Stephen
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
A model for parasitic motility has been proposed in which parasite filamentous actin (F-actin) is attached to surface adhesins by a large component of the glideosome, known as the glideosome-associated connector protein (GAC). This large 286 kDa protein interacts at the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane with the phosphatidic acid-enriched inner leaflet and cytosolic tails of surface adhesins to connect them to the parasite actomyosin system. GAC is observed initially to the conoid at the apical pole and re-localised with the glideosome to the basal pole in gliding parasite. GAC presumably functions in force transmission to surface adhesins in the plasma membrane and not in force generation. Proper connection between F-actin and the adhesins is as important for motility and invasion as motor operation itself. This notion highlights the need for new structural information on GAC interactions, which has eluded the field since its discovery. We have obtained crystals that diffracted to 2.6–2.9 Å for full-length GAC from Toxoplasma gondii in native and selenomethionine-labelled forms. These crystals belong to space group P212121; cell dimensions are roughly a = 119 Å, b = 123 Å, c = 221 Å, α = 90°, β = 90° and γ = 90° with 1 molecule per asymmetric unit, suggesting a more compact conformation than previously proposed
Date Issued
2022-01-15
Date Acceptance
2022-01-11
Citation
Crystals, 2022, 12 (1), pp.1-6
ISSN
2073-4352
Publisher
MDPI AG
Start Page
1
End Page
6
Journal / Book Title
Crystals
Volume
12
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© 2022 by the authors.
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
This article is an open access article
distributed under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons
Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
This article is an open access article
distributed under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons
Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Sponsor
The Leverhulme Trust
Identifier
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/12/1/110
Grant Number
RPG-2018-107
Subjects
0306 Physical Chemistry (incl. Structural)
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2022-01-11