Environmental sensing and regulation of motility in Toxoplasma

• Published in: Molecular microbiology 2021-05, Vol.115 (5), p.916-929
• Main Authors: Uboldi, Alessandro D., Wilde, Mary‐Louise, Bader, Stefanie M., Tonkin, Christopher J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Apicomplexa; Ca2; cAMP; cGMP; Egress; environmental sensing; Gliding; gliding motility; Locomotion; Motility; Parasites; signal transduction; Toxoplasma
• ISSN: 0950-382X; 1365-2958
• DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14661

Toxoplasma and other apicomplexan parasites undergo a unique form of cellular locomotion referred to as “gliding motility.” Gliding motility is crucial for parasite survival as it powers tissue dissemination, host cell invasion and egress. Distinct environmental cues lead to activation of gliding motility and have become a prominent focus of recent investigation. Progress has been made toward understanding what environmental cues are sensed and how these signals are transduced in order to regulate the machinery and cellular events powering gliding motility. In this review, we will discuss new findings and integrate these into our current understanding to propose a model of how environmental sensing is achieved to regulate gliding motility in Toxoplasma. Collectively, these findings also have implications for the understanding of gliding motility across Apicomplexa more broadly. Toxoplasma parasites cause toxoplasmosis, which can lead to blindness, neurological problems and birth defects. Sensing of environmental cues is of central importance in regulating infectivity in Toxoplasma. Recently, there has been major advances in understanding the molecular events underpinning this process in Toxoplasma; new environmental signals have been revealed; the first understanding of how parasites sense these signals and how they are transduced to regulate infectivity. Here, we review these findings, integrating these into what we already understand and propose new questions that now appear most important to answer.