A new microneme protein of Neospora caninum, NcMIC8 is involved in host cell invasion

作者：Wang, Jing; Tang, Di; Li, Wensheng; Xu, Jianhai; Liu, Qun^*; Liu, Jing^*

来源：Experimental Parasitology, 2017, 175: 21-27.

DOI：10.1016/j.exppara.2017.01.004

• Neospora caninum
• Microneme protein 8
• Location
• Adhesion

Microneme proteins play an important role in the invasion process of Apicomplexan parasites through adhesion to host cells. We discovered a new N. caninum protein, NcMIC8, which is highly identical to TgMIC8. The NcMIC8 sequence has 2049 bp and no intron in the open reading fragment. It has a molecular weight of 73.8 kDa and contains a signal peptide, a transmembrane region, a low complexity region and 10 epidermal growth factor (EGF) domains. Immuno-fluorescence assay showed that NcMIC8. is located in the microneme. NcMIC8 was secreted to culture medium under stimulation of 1% ethanol, and cleaved to form the mature body of 40 kDa before transporting to microneme or during secretion. Blocking NcMIC8 using anti-NcMIC8 serum effectively inhibited host cell invasion by tachyzoites in vitro. NcMIC8 in the form of mature body interacts with NcMIC3, and the two microneme proteins form a complex probably during transportation. NcMIC8 is a new microneme protein of N. caninum and could be an attractive target for the control of neosporosis.

• 出版日期2017-4
• 单位中国农业大学