Evidence map›Paper›PMID 23873863›Full record

ArticleEukaryotic cell2013

Novel thioredoxin-like proteins are components of a protein complex coating the cortical microtubules of Toxoplasma gondii.

Jun Liu, Laura Wetzel, Ying Zhang, Eiji Nagayasu, Stephanie Ems-McClung, Laurence Florens, Ke Hu

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Eukaryotic cell, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 41 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
41citing papers in PubMed
2.8field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

41 citing papers in PubMed, 70 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Microtubule inner proteins in apicomplexan parasites.Biochemical Society transactions · 2026
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Atomic models of the Toxoplasma cell invasion machinery.Nature structural & molecular biology · 2026
    Article
  6. Article
  7. mBio · 2025
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Microtubule inner proteins ofProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025
    Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Co-dependent formation of thebioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2024
    Article
  14. SPARK regulates AGC kinases central to thebioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2024
    Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. SPACA9 is a lumenal protein of human ciliary singlet and doublet microtubules.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2022
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Jun LiuDepartment of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.
Laura Wetzel
Ying Zhang
Eiji Nagayasu
Stephanie Ems-McClung
Laurence Florens
Ke Hu
Indiana University Bloomington · USStowers Institute for Medical Research · USUniversity of Miyazaki · JP

Funding

The role of lysine methylation in regulating the motility of Toxoplasma gondiiR01AI098686 · NIAID · TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY · PI HU, KE · 2013 to 2017
$2.0M
NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI098686NIAID NIH HHS R01-AI098686
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Microtubules are versatile biopolymers that support numerous vital cellular functions in eukaryotes. The specific properties of microtubules are dependent on distinct microtubule-associated proteins, as the tubulin subunits and microtubule structure are exceptionally conserved. Highly specialized microtubule-containing assemblies are often found in protists, which are rich sources for novel microtubule-associated proteins. A protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, possesses several distinct tubulin-containing structures, including 22 microtubules closely associated with the cortical membrane. Early ultrastructural studies have shown that the cortical microtubules are heavily decorated with associating proteins. However, little is known about the identities of these proteins. Here, we report the discovery of a novel protein, TrxL1 (for Thioredoxin-Like protein 1), and an associating complex that coats the cortical microtubules. TrxL1 contains a thioredoxin-like fold. To visualize its localization in live parasites by fluorescence, we replaced the endogenous TrxL1 gene with an mEmeraldFP-TrxL1 fusion gene. Structured illumination-based superresolution imaging of this parasite line produced a detailed view of the microtubule cytoskeleton. Despite its stable association with the cortical microtubules in the parasite, TrxL1 does not seem to bind to microtubules directly. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments showed that TrxL1 associates with a protein complex containing SPM1, a previously reported microtubule-associated protein in T. gondii. We also found that SPM1 recruits TrxL1 to the cortical microtubules. Besides SPM1, several other novel proteins are found in the TrxL1-containing complex, including TrxL2, a close homolog of TrxL1. Thus, our results reveal for the first time a microtubule-associated complex in T. gondii.

Indexed as

Amino Acid SequenceHumansMicrotubulesMolecular Sequence DataProtein BindingProtein Structure, TertiaryProtozoan ProteinsSequence AlignmentThioredoxinsToxoplasmaToxoplasmosisProtozoan ProteinsThioredoxins

Identifiers

PMID23873863
PMCPMC3889574
OpenAlexW2146181991

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.