High-throughput functionalization of the Toxoplasma kinome uncovers a novel regulator of invasion and egress

Protein kinases regulate fundamental aspects of eukaryotic cell biology, making them attractive chemotherapeutic targets in parasites like Plasmodium spp. and Toxoplasma gondii. To systematically examine the parasite kinome, we developed a high-throughput tagging (HiT) strategy to endogenously label...

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Main Author: Smith, Tyler A.
Other Authors: Lourido, Sebastian
Format: Thesis
Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2022
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/145059
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author Smith, Tyler A.
author2 Lourido, Sebastian
author_facet Lourido, Sebastian
Smith, Tyler A.
author_sort Smith, Tyler A.
collection MIT
description Protein kinases regulate fundamental aspects of eukaryotic cell biology, making them attractive chemotherapeutic targets in parasites like Plasmodium spp. and Toxoplasma gondii. To systematically examine the parasite kinome, we developed a high-throughput tagging (HiT) strategy to endogenously label protein kinases with an auxin-inducible degron and fluorophore. Hundreds of tagging vectors were assembled from synthetic sequences in a single reaction and used to generate pools of mutants to determine localization and function. Examining 1,160 arrayed clones, I assigned 40 protein localizations and associated 15 kinases with distinct defects. The fitness of tagged alleles was also measured by pooled screening, distinguishing delayed from acute phenotypes. A previously unstudied kinase, associated with delayed death, was shown to be a regulator of invasion and egress. I call the kinase Store Potentiating/Activating Regulatory Kinase (SPARK), based on its impact on intracellular Ca2+ stores. Despite homology to mammalian PDK1, SPARK lacks a lipid-binding domain, suggesting a rewiring of the pathway in parasites. HiT screening extends genome-wide approaches into complex cellular phenotypes, providing a scalable and versatile platform to dissect parasite biology.
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spelling mit-1721.1/1450592022-08-30T03:51:28Z High-throughput functionalization of the Toxoplasma kinome uncovers a novel regulator of invasion and egress Smith, Tyler A. Lourido, Sebastian Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biology Protein kinases regulate fundamental aspects of eukaryotic cell biology, making them attractive chemotherapeutic targets in parasites like Plasmodium spp. and Toxoplasma gondii. To systematically examine the parasite kinome, we developed a high-throughput tagging (HiT) strategy to endogenously label protein kinases with an auxin-inducible degron and fluorophore. Hundreds of tagging vectors were assembled from synthetic sequences in a single reaction and used to generate pools of mutants to determine localization and function. Examining 1,160 arrayed clones, I assigned 40 protein localizations and associated 15 kinases with distinct defects. The fitness of tagged alleles was also measured by pooled screening, distinguishing delayed from acute phenotypes. A previously unstudied kinase, associated with delayed death, was shown to be a regulator of invasion and egress. I call the kinase Store Potentiating/Activating Regulatory Kinase (SPARK), based on its impact on intracellular Ca2+ stores. Despite homology to mammalian PDK1, SPARK lacks a lipid-binding domain, suggesting a rewiring of the pathway in parasites. HiT screening extends genome-wide approaches into complex cellular phenotypes, providing a scalable and versatile platform to dissect parasite biology. Ph.D. 2022-08-29T16:30:11Z 2022-08-29T16:30:11Z 2022-05 2022-05-23T19:54:32.791Z Thesis https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/145059 In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted Copyright MIT http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/ application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology
spellingShingle Smith, Tyler A.
High-throughput functionalization of the Toxoplasma kinome uncovers a novel regulator of invasion and egress
title High-throughput functionalization of the Toxoplasma kinome uncovers a novel regulator of invasion and egress
title_full High-throughput functionalization of the Toxoplasma kinome uncovers a novel regulator of invasion and egress
title_fullStr High-throughput functionalization of the Toxoplasma kinome uncovers a novel regulator of invasion and egress
title_full_unstemmed High-throughput functionalization of the Toxoplasma kinome uncovers a novel regulator of invasion and egress
title_short High-throughput functionalization of the Toxoplasma kinome uncovers a novel regulator of invasion and egress
title_sort high throughput functionalization of the toxoplasma kinome uncovers a novel regulator of invasion and egress
url https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/145059
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