Role of translational repression in Toxoplasma gondii's life cycle

翻译抑制在弓形虫生活史中的作用弓形虫是一种细胞内寄生虫，其主要宿主是啮齿动物和猫，但它也可以感染人类。它会影响宿主的行为和决策，并导致弓形虫病。这种寄生虫感染对胎儿有害，对免疫系统较弱的人可能是致命的。本研究计划旨在寻求更好地了解弓形虫寄生的分子机制。更具体地说，这项研究的目的是通过密切关注mRNA与其相互作用的蛋白质之间的相互作用，确定对弓形虫建立急性和潜伏感染的能力至关重要的分子事件，以形成蛋白质合成所需的功能复合体。我们推测，弓形虫的翻译抑制在使其能够建立感染和逃避宿主的保护性反应方面起着关键作用。这项研究将开发和使用新的和高灵敏度的方法来监测寄生虫在人类宿主细胞中不同阶段的蛋白质合成。我们的长期目标是揭示感染和致病的基本过程，并获得解释弓形虫整体和mRNA特异性翻译抑制的基本分子过程的机制模型。短期目标：利用分子/细胞生物学和生物化学方法，我们将：1.确定弓形虫翻译抑制的机制，使其能够在人类宿主细胞中完成其生命周期。2.评估一种名为TgHoDI的RNA结合蛋白在翻译抑制中的意义和功能。评估在人类宿主细胞中寄生虫感染的休眠阶段一组特定的mRNAs被抑制的机制。反解放意义：拟议的研究将在细胞和生化水平上促进我们对寄生虫的理解。研究结果将为

Role of translational repression in Toxoplasma gondii's life cycleToxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite whose main hosts are rodents and cats, but it can also infect humans. It can affect its hosts' behavior and decision making, and causes toxoplasmosis. This parasitic infection is harmful to fetuses, and could be lethal to those with weak immune systems.This research program focuses on seeking a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of T. gondii parasitism. More specifically, the research aims to identify molecular events critical to T. gondii's ability to establish an acute and latent infection by paying close attention to the interactions between mRNA and its interacting proteins in the formation of functional complexes necessary for protein synthesis. We hypothesize that translational repression in T. gondii plays a critical role in enabling it to establish infection and evade the host's protective responses. The research will develop and use novel and highly sensitive methods to monitor protein synthesis during different phases of the parasites in the human host cell. Our long-term objectives are to reveal the fundamental processes of the infection and pathogenesis, and to obtain mechanistic models that explain fundamental molecular processes of global and mRNA-specific translational repression in T. gondii. Short-term objectives: Using molecular/cell biology and biochemistry approaches, we will:1. Determine the mechanism of translational repression occurring in T. gondii that allows it to complete its life cycle in human host cells. 2. Evaluate the significance and function of an RNA-binding protein, named TgHoDI, in translational repression.3. Assess the mechanism by which a specific set of mRNAs are repressed during the dormant phase of the parasite infection in human host cells.Anticipated significance: The proposed research will advance our understanding of the parasite at the cellular and biochemical levels. The results will provide scientifi