A comprehensive ultrastructural analysis of the Toxoplasma gondii cytoskeleton

Abstract

The invasive nature of Toxoplasma gondii is closely related to the properties of its cytoskeleton, which is constituted by a group of diverse structural and dynamic components that play key roles during the infection. Even if there have been numerous reports about the composition and function of the Toxoplasma cytoskeleton, the ultrastructural organization of some of these components has not yet been fully characterized. This study used a detergent extraction process and several electron microscopy contrast methods that allowed the successful isolation of the cytoskeleton of Toxoplasma tachyzoites. This process allowed for the conservation of the structures known to date and several new structures that had not been characterized at the ultrastructural level. For the first time, characterization was achieved for a group of nanofibers that allow the association between the polar apical ring and the conoid as well as the ultrastructural characterization of the apical cap of the parasite. The ultrastructure and precise location of the peripheral rings were also found, and the annular components of the basal complex were characterized. Finally, through immunoelectron microscopy, the exact spatial location of the subpellicular network inside the internal membrane system that forms the pellicle was found. The findings regarding these new structures contribute to the knowledge concerning the biology of the Toxoplasma gondii cytoskeleton. They also provide new opportunities in the search for therapeutic strategies aimed at these components with the purpose of inhibiting invasion and thus parasitism.