Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41366525›Full record

ArticleNature structural & molecular biology2026

Atomic models of the Toxoplasma cell invasion machinery.

Jianwei Zeng, Yong Fu, Pengge Qian, Wei Huang, Qingwei Niu, Wandy L Beatty, Alan Brown, L David Sibley, Rui Zhang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature structural & molecular biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

9 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Organization of Myosin H in the Apical Complex ofbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
    Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Apicortin defines theLife science alliance · 2026
    Article
  7. Two anchoring proteins control daughter apical complex assembly inbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
    Article
  8. Microtubule inner proteins in apicomplexan parasites.Biochemical Society transactions · 2026
    Review
  9. 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

9 authors.

Jianwei Zeng *Department of Biochemistry, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6880-3366
Yong Fu *Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3912-5869
Pengge Qian *Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3751-5783
Wei HuangDepartment of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2097-8148
Qingwei NiuDepartment of Biochemistry, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Wandy L BeattyDepartment of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Alan BrownDepartment of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0021-0476
L David SibleyDepartment of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA. sibley@wustl.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7110-0285
Rui ZhangDepartment of Biochemistry, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA. zhangrui@wustl.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3159-9565

Funding

Structure and Function of the Conoid in ToxoplasmaR01AI179885 · NIAID · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI L. David Sibley, Rui Zhang · 2024 to 2026
$2.2M
NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI179885
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Apicomplexan parasites, responsible for toxoplasmosis, cryptosporidiosis and malaria, invade host cells through a unique gliding motility mechanism powered by actomyosin motors and a dynamic organelle called the conoid. Here, using cryo-electron microscopy, we determined structures of four essential complexes of the Toxoplasma gondii conoid: the preconoidal P2 ring, tubulin-based conoid fibers, and the subpellicular and intraconoidal microtubules. Our analysis identified 40 distinct conoid proteins, several of which are essential for parasite lytic growth, as revealed through genetic disruption studies. Comparative analysis of the tubulin-containing complexes sheds light on their functional specialization by microtubule-associated proteins, while the structure of the preconoidal ring pinpoints the site of actin polymerization and initial translocation, enhancing our mechanistic understanding of gliding motility and, therefore, parasite invasion.

Indexed as

Protozoan ProteinsToxoplasmaActinsCryoelectron MicroscopyHumansMicrotubulesModels, MolecularTubulinActinsProtozoan ProteinsTubulin

Identifiers

PMID41366525
PMCPMC12819142

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.