Research advances in interactions related to Toxoplasma gondii microneme proteins

- Functional and biological characteristics of Toxoplasma gondii microneme proteins (TgMICs) are reviewed.
- Protein-protein and protein-carbohydrate interactions related to TgMICs are reviewed.
- Interactions between TgMICs, between TgMICs and other components, between TgMICs and host components are reviewed.
- Ongoing questions and potential of exploring TgMICs as control strategies of T. gondii are presented.

Toxoplasma gondii microneme proteins (TgMICs), secreted by micronemes upon contact with host cells, are reported to play important roles in multiple stages of the T. gondii life cycle, including parasite motility, invasion, intracellular survival, and egress from host cells. Meanwhile, during these processes, TgMICs participate in many protein-protein and protein-carbohydrate interactions, such as undergoing proteolytic maturation, binding to aldolase, engaging the host cell receptors and forming the moving junction (MJ), relying on different types of ectodomains, transmembrane (TM) domains and cytoplasmic domains (CDs). In this review, we summarize the research advances in protein-protein and protein-carbohydrate interactions related to TgMICs, and their intimate associations with corresponding biological processes during T. gondii infection, which will contribute to an improved understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of T. gondii infection, and provide a basis for developing effective control strategies against T. gondii.

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