Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38576040›Full record

ArticleParasites & vectors2024

Trx4, a novel thioredoxin protein, is important for Toxoplasma gondii fitness.

Zhi-Wei Zhang, Meng Wang, Li-Xiu Sun, Hany M Elsheikha, Cheng-Lin Lei, Jin-Lei Wang, Bao-Quan Fu, Jian-Xun Luo, Xing-Quan Zhu, Ting-Ting Li

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Parasites & vectors, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
4.1field-weighted citation impact, top 6% 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

6 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Applications of CRISPR in Parasitology.Current pharmaceutical biotechnology · 2025
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. AFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2024
    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

10 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Zhi-Wei ZhangState Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, People's Republic of China.
Meng WangState Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, People's Republic of China.
Li-Xiu SunState Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, People's Republic of China.
Hany M ElsheikhaFaculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK.
Cheng-Lin LeiState Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, People's Republic of China.
Jin-Lei WangState Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, People's Republic of China.
Bao-Quan FuState Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, People's Republic of China.
Jian-Xun LuoState Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, People's Republic of China.
Xing-Quan ZhuLaboratory of Parasitic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi Province, 030801, People's Republic of China. xingquanzhu1@hotmail.com.
Ting-Ting LiState Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, People's Republic of China. litt866@163.com.
Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute · CNShanxi Agricultural University · CNUniversity of Nottingham · GB

Funding

National Key Research and Development Program of China 2021YFC2300800National Key Research and Development Program of China 2021YFC2300802National Key Research and Development Program of China 2022YFD1800200National Key Research and Development Program of China 2022YFD1800201Shanxi Provincial Agricultural and Rural Research Program LXXMsxnd202101the Fundamental Research Funds of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Y2022XK19the Natural Science Foundation of Gansu Province, China 23JRRA555the Research Funding from the Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute CAAS-ASTIP-JBGS-20210801the Special Research Fund of Shanxi Agricultural University for High-level Talents 2021XG001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTo successfully replicate within the host cell, Toxoplasma gondii employs several mechanisms to overcome the host cell defenses and mitigate the harmful effects of the free radicals resulting from its own metabolic processes using effectors such as thioredoxin proteins. In this study, we characterize the location and functions of a newly identified thioredoxin in T. gondii, which was named Trx4.

methodsWe characterized the functional role of Trx4 in T. gondii Type I RH and Type II Pru strains by gene knockout and studied its subcellular localization by endogenous protein HA tagging using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. The enzyme-catalyzed proximity labeling technique, the TurboID system, was employed to identify the proteins in proximity to Trx4.

resultsTrx4 was identified as a dense granule protein of T. gondii predominantly expressed in the parasitophorous vacuole (PV) and was partially co-localized with GRA1 and GRA5. Functional analysis showed that deletion of trx4 markedly influenced the parasite lytic cycle, resulting in impaired host cell invasion capacity in both RH and Pru strains. Mutation of Trx domains in Trx4 in RH strain revealed that two Trx domains were important for the parasite invasion. By utilizing the TurboID system to biotinylate proteins in proximity to Trx4, we identified a substantial number of proteins, some of which are novel, and others are previously characterized, predominantly distributed in the dense granules. In addition, we uncovered three novel proteins co-localized with Trx4. Intriguingly, deletion of trx4 did not affect the localization of these three proteins. Finally, a virulence assay demonstrated that knockout of trx4 resulted in a significant attenuation of virulence and a significant reduction in brain cyst loads in mice.

conclusionsTrx4 plays an important role in T. gondii invasion and virulence in Type I RH strain and Type II Pru strain. Combining the TurboID system with CRISPR-Cas9 technique revealed many PV-localized proximity proteins associated with Trx4. These findings suggest a versatile role of Trx4 in mediating the processes that occur in this distinctive intracellular membrane-bound vacuolar compartment.

Indexed as

ToxoplasmaAnimalsAntigens, ProtozoanImmunologic FactorsMiceProtozoan ProteinsThioredoxinsVirulenceAntigens, ProtozoanImmunologic FactorsProtozoan ProteinsThioredoxinsParasitophorous vacuoleThioredoxinToxoplasma gondiiTurboIDVirulence

Identifiers

PMID38576040
PMCPMC10996207
OpenAlexW4393932137

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.