Dynamic development of parasitophorous vacuole of Eimeria tenella transfected with the yellow fluorescent protein gene fused to different signal sequences from apicomplexan parasites

• Published in: Parasitology research (1987) Vol. 104; no. 2; pp. 315 - 320
• Main Authors: Shi, Tuanyuan, Yan, Wenchao, Ren, Huaibin, Liu, Xianyong, Suo, Xun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 2009; Springer-Verlag; Springer
• Subjects: Animals; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cells, Cultured; Chickens; Eimeria tenella - genetics; Eimeria tenella - growth & development; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; General aspects and techniques. Study of several systematic groups. Models; Genes, Reporter; Immunology; Invertebrates; Luminescent Proteins - genetics; Luminescent Proteins - metabolism; Medical Microbiology; Microbiology; Original Paper; Plasmodium falciparum - genetics; Protein Sorting Signals; Protozoan Proteins - genetics; Recombinant Fusion Proteins; Toxoplasma - genetics; Transformation, Genetic; Vacuoles - parasitology; Parasitophorous Vacuole; Apicomplexan Parasite; Yellow Fluorescent Protein; Ethylene Glycol Tetraacetic Acid; GRA8 Gene; Protozoa; Apicomplexa; Gene; Yellow; Development; Eimeria tenella; Parasite; Vacuole; Protein
• ISSN: 0932-0113; 1432-1955
• DOI: 10.1007/s00436-008-1194-y

Intracellular stages of Eimeria tenella reside within a membrane-bound parasitophorous vacuole (PV). PVs of apicomplexan parasites like E. tenella play important roles in nutrient acquisition, multiplication, and evasion of host immune responses. Different signal sequences from apicomplexan parasites were investigated in the transfected E. tenella for their functions in targeting yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) to subcompartments and the dynamic development of the PV of E. tenella was studied. Two 5' terminal signal sequences derived from Toxoplasma gondii GRA8 protein and Plasmodium falciparum repetitive interspersed family protein, respectively, were confirmed to target YFP to the PVs of the transfected E. tenella, suggesting that signal sequences are functionally conserved among Apicomplexa. Three structurally different types of PVs were observed during the endogenous development of the transfected E. tenella in vitro. In addition, three subcompartments in the PV, namely, membranous extensions into the host cell cytosol, membranous extensions into the vacuolar lumen, and particle-like bodies, were detected during schizogony of the parasite.