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Structure and Function of Eimeria tenella microneme proteins

Reference	BBS/E/I/00001141
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Fiona Tomley
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	The Pirbright Institute
Department	The Pirbright Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	1,921,924
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/2003
End date	30/06/2009
Duration	75 months

Abstract

Apicomplexan parasites, including species of Eimeria, store ligands for host receptors within specialised secretory organelles called micronemes and selectively release these ligands upon encountering a target host cell. Compounds that block microneme secretion are very effective at preventing parasite infectivity. Microneme proteins (MICs) contain a variety of well-recognised adhesive motifs including Apple domains, thrombospondin type I repeats (TSR), integrin A-like domains and epidermal growth factor-like repeats. Several MICs bind host cells and are likely to be important in invasion. EtMIC1 is a member of the TRAP family of apicomplexan adhesins that bind GAGs and forms a complex with EtMIC2; EtMIC3 is a potential GAG-binding protein; EtMIC5 is an Apple-domain protein that forms a complex with EtMIC4 and EtAMA-1 is a recently discovered MIC protein. The objectives of this project are 1) Use biochemical and reverse genetics techniques to characterise more closely protein complexes formed between MIC proteins 2) Examine the binding of EtMIC1/2 and EtMIC4/5 protein complexes 3) Further characterise and map the binding activities of EtMIC3 4) Determine the effect of GAGs on parasite attachment and invasion both in tissue culture infections and in vivo using ligated caecal loops 4) Carry out a basic molecular characterisation of EtAMA-1.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Animal Sciences (AS)
Research Topics	Animal Health, Microbiology
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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