Expansion microscopy provides new insights into the cytoskeleton of malaria parasites including the conservation of a conoid.
Malaria is caused by unicellular Plasmodium parasites. Plasmodium relies on diverse microtubule cytoskeletal structures for its reproduction, multiplication, and dissemination. Due to the small size of this parasite, its cytoskeleton has been primarily observable by electron microscopy (EM). Here, w...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2021-03-01
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| Series: | PLoS Biology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001020 |
| _version_ | 1819031807297847296 |
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| author | Eloïse Bertiaux Aurélia C Balestra Lorène Bournonville Vincent Louvel Bohumil Maco Dominique Soldati-Favre Mathieu Brochet Paul Guichard Virginie Hamel |
| author_facet | Eloïse Bertiaux Aurélia C Balestra Lorène Bournonville Vincent Louvel Bohumil Maco Dominique Soldati-Favre Mathieu Brochet Paul Guichard Virginie Hamel |
| author_sort | Eloïse Bertiaux |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Malaria is caused by unicellular Plasmodium parasites. Plasmodium relies on diverse microtubule cytoskeletal structures for its reproduction, multiplication, and dissemination. Due to the small size of this parasite, its cytoskeleton has been primarily observable by electron microscopy (EM). Here, we demonstrate that the nanoscale cytoskeleton organisation is within reach using ultrastructure expansion microscopy (U-ExM). In developing microgametocytes, U-ExM allows monitoring the dynamic assembly of axonemes and concomitant tubulin polyglutamylation in whole cells. In the invasive merozoite and ookinete forms, U-ExM unveils the diversity across Plasmodium stages and species of the subpellicular microtubule arrays that confer cell rigidity. In ookinetes, we additionally identify an apical tubulin ring (ATR) that colocalises with markers of the conoid in related apicomplexan parasites. This tubulin-containing structure was presumed to be lost in Plasmodium despite its crucial role in motility and invasion in other apicomplexans. Here, U-ExM reveals that a divergent and considerably reduced form of the conoid is actually conserved in Plasmodium species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T06:51:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-80af18d8a6c1461fac948c38c780c302 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1544-9173 1545-7885 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T06:51:55Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-80af18d8a6c1461fac948c38c780c3022022-12-21T19:12:27ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Biology1544-91731545-78852021-03-01193e300102010.1371/journal.pbio.3001020Expansion microscopy provides new insights into the cytoskeleton of malaria parasites including the conservation of a conoid.Eloïse BertiauxAurélia C BalestraLorène BournonvilleVincent LouvelBohumil MacoDominique Soldati-FavreMathieu BrochetPaul GuichardVirginie HamelMalaria is caused by unicellular Plasmodium parasites. Plasmodium relies on diverse microtubule cytoskeletal structures for its reproduction, multiplication, and dissemination. Due to the small size of this parasite, its cytoskeleton has been primarily observable by electron microscopy (EM). Here, we demonstrate that the nanoscale cytoskeleton organisation is within reach using ultrastructure expansion microscopy (U-ExM). In developing microgametocytes, U-ExM allows monitoring the dynamic assembly of axonemes and concomitant tubulin polyglutamylation in whole cells. In the invasive merozoite and ookinete forms, U-ExM unveils the diversity across Plasmodium stages and species of the subpellicular microtubule arrays that confer cell rigidity. In ookinetes, we additionally identify an apical tubulin ring (ATR) that colocalises with markers of the conoid in related apicomplexan parasites. This tubulin-containing structure was presumed to be lost in Plasmodium despite its crucial role in motility and invasion in other apicomplexans. Here, U-ExM reveals that a divergent and considerably reduced form of the conoid is actually conserved in Plasmodium species.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001020 |
| spellingShingle | Eloïse Bertiaux Aurélia C Balestra Lorène Bournonville Vincent Louvel Bohumil Maco Dominique Soldati-Favre Mathieu Brochet Paul Guichard Virginie Hamel Expansion microscopy provides new insights into the cytoskeleton of malaria parasites including the conservation of a conoid. PLoS Biology |
| title | Expansion microscopy provides new insights into the cytoskeleton of malaria parasites including the conservation of a conoid. |
| title_full | Expansion microscopy provides new insights into the cytoskeleton of malaria parasites including the conservation of a conoid. |
| title_fullStr | Expansion microscopy provides new insights into the cytoskeleton of malaria parasites including the conservation of a conoid. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Expansion microscopy provides new insights into the cytoskeleton of malaria parasites including the conservation of a conoid. |
| title_short | Expansion microscopy provides new insights into the cytoskeleton of malaria parasites including the conservation of a conoid. |
| title_sort | expansion microscopy provides new insights into the cytoskeleton of malaria parasites including the conservation of a conoid |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001020 |
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