Malaria Cytoskeletal Proteins Require Alveolin–Alveolin Interactions for Differential Localization

The alveolins are a family of intermediate filament-like proteins that form cytoskeletal structures in both free-living and parasitic members of the alveolate kingdom. Despite their important functions, the alveolins’ biochemical properties and organizing principles are still poorly understood. Here...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ana Karla Cepeda Diaz, Peter S. Back, Sreelakshmi K. Sreenivasamurthy, Jeffrey D. Dvorin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-01-01
Series:Cellular Microbiology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/cmi/4530231
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850117768877178880
author Ana Karla Cepeda Diaz
Peter S. Back
Sreelakshmi K. Sreenivasamurthy
Jeffrey D. Dvorin
author_facet Ana Karla Cepeda Diaz
Peter S. Back
Sreelakshmi K. Sreenivasamurthy
Jeffrey D. Dvorin
author_sort Ana Karla Cepeda Diaz
collection DOAJ
description The alveolins are a family of intermediate filament-like proteins that form cytoskeletal structures in both free-living and parasitic members of the alveolate kingdom. Despite their important functions, the alveolins’ biochemical properties and organizing principles are still poorly understood. Here, we characterize four alveolins of Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest malaria parasite, to understand how alveolin domains mediate protein–protein interactions and highly specific recruitment to substructures of the cytoskeleton. Unexpectedly, we uncover variable dependence on alveolin domains for each substructure rather than an overarching mechanism. While PfIMC1e requires 1f to be sequentially recruited to the basal complex, PfIMC1c and PfIMC1g do not require interactions with each other to localize properly to the inner membrane complex. Moreover, alveolin domains are not interchangeable—they contain unique signatures for specialized localization. Finally, we identify a region outside the alveolin domain of PfIMC1e that is important for basal complex recruitment. These results provide direct evidence that alveolin domains mediate both alveolin–alveolin interactions and compartment-specific localization.
format Article
id doaj-art-7e0428163d1747178e73028028dadbd8
institution OA Journals
issn 1462-5822
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Cellular Microbiology
spelling doaj-art-7e0428163d1747178e73028028dadbd82025-08-20T02:36:02ZengWileyCellular Microbiology1462-58222025-01-01202510.1155/cmi/4530231Malaria Cytoskeletal Proteins Require Alveolin–Alveolin Interactions for Differential LocalizationAna Karla Cepeda Diaz0Peter S. Back1Sreelakshmi K. Sreenivasamurthy2Jeffrey D. Dvorin3Division of Infectious DiseasesDivision of Infectious DiseasesDivision of Infectious DiseasesDivision of Infectious DiseasesThe alveolins are a family of intermediate filament-like proteins that form cytoskeletal structures in both free-living and parasitic members of the alveolate kingdom. Despite their important functions, the alveolins’ biochemical properties and organizing principles are still poorly understood. Here, we characterize four alveolins of Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest malaria parasite, to understand how alveolin domains mediate protein–protein interactions and highly specific recruitment to substructures of the cytoskeleton. Unexpectedly, we uncover variable dependence on alveolin domains for each substructure rather than an overarching mechanism. While PfIMC1e requires 1f to be sequentially recruited to the basal complex, PfIMC1c and PfIMC1g do not require interactions with each other to localize properly to the inner membrane complex. Moreover, alveolin domains are not interchangeable—they contain unique signatures for specialized localization. Finally, we identify a region outside the alveolin domain of PfIMC1e that is important for basal complex recruitment. These results provide direct evidence that alveolin domains mediate both alveolin–alveolin interactions and compartment-specific localization.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/cmi/4530231
spellingShingle Ana Karla Cepeda Diaz
Peter S. Back
Sreelakshmi K. Sreenivasamurthy
Jeffrey D. Dvorin
Malaria Cytoskeletal Proteins Require Alveolin–Alveolin Interactions for Differential Localization
Cellular Microbiology
title Malaria Cytoskeletal Proteins Require Alveolin–Alveolin Interactions for Differential Localization
title_full Malaria Cytoskeletal Proteins Require Alveolin–Alveolin Interactions for Differential Localization
title_fullStr Malaria Cytoskeletal Proteins Require Alveolin–Alveolin Interactions for Differential Localization
title_full_unstemmed Malaria Cytoskeletal Proteins Require Alveolin–Alveolin Interactions for Differential Localization
title_short Malaria Cytoskeletal Proteins Require Alveolin–Alveolin Interactions for Differential Localization
title_sort malaria cytoskeletal proteins require alveolin alveolin interactions for differential localization
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/cmi/4530231
work_keys_str_mv AT anakarlacepedadiaz malariacytoskeletalproteinsrequirealveolinalveolininteractionsfordifferentiallocalization
AT petersback malariacytoskeletalproteinsrequirealveolinalveolininteractionsfordifferentiallocalization
AT sreelakshmiksreenivasamurthy malariacytoskeletalproteinsrequirealveolinalveolininteractionsfordifferentiallocalization
AT jeffreyddvorin malariacytoskeletalproteinsrequirealveolinalveolininteractionsfordifferentiallocalization