Biology subjects

Ferreira, J. L.

Publications and source records attributed to Ferreira, J. L..

7 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Adaptations in Plasmodium tubulin determine unique microtubule architectures, mechanics and drug susceptibility

Microtubules are ubiquitous yet diverse cytoskeleton filaments. However, tubulin conservation presents challenges in understanding the origins of diverse microtubule architectures. The mechanisms by which microtubule architecture varies through the life cycle of the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium are not understood and provide a valuable framework for exploring how intrinsic properties of tubulin contribute to architectural variety. Using parasite-purified tubulin, we determined structures of P. falciparum microtubules by cryo-electron microscopy. Parasite-specific sequences change the tubulin dimer structure, thereby modifying drug susceptibility and polymer mechanical properties. Within the P. falciparum microtubule, lateral contacts are smaller but stronger, and the lattice is stiffer than in mammalian microtubules. Non-canonical microtubule architectures found in parasites are highly similar to those observed in vitro, validating the physiological relevance of these properties. Our findings show how evolutionary adaptation of tubulin modulates the material properties of the microtubule cytoskeleton.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2024

Arp2/3 iso-complexes limit t-tubule overgrowth to ensure myofiber formation and synchronous contraction

Muscle cells form a network of plasma membrane invaginations called t-tubules that control calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum at the triads during muscle contraction. Although the importance of t-tubules for muscle physiology is well established, and abnormalities are found in multiple disorders, the mechanisms that mediate t-tubule growth are unknown. We show that the actomyosin cortex beneath the plasma membrane, regulated by Arp2/3 complexes containing Arpc5, acts as a gatekeeper for the membrane availability required for t-tubule growth. Enlarged t-tubules are formed upon disruption of Arpc5, impairing the synchronisation between plasma membrane depolarization and calcium release. Additionally, ablation of Arpc5 postnatally in myofibers results in muscle fatigue and t-tubule abnormalities, as observed in muscle disorders. We propose that the actomyosin cortex impacts muscle function, offering a potential pathophysiological mechanism for muscle disorders.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Molecular architecture of glideosome and nuclear F-actin in Plasmodium falciparum

Actin-based motility is required for the transmission of malaria sporozoites. While this has been shown biochemically, filamentous actin has remained elusive and has to date never been directly visualised inside the parasite. Using focused ion beam milling and electron cryo-tomography, we studied dynamic actin filaments in unperturbed Plasmodium falciparum cells for the first time. This allowed us to dissect the assembly, path and fate of actin filaments during parasite gliding and determine a complete 3D model of F-actin within sporozoites. We show that within the cell, actin assembles into micrometre long filaments, much longer than observed in in vitro studies. After their assembly at the parasites apical end, actin filaments continue to grow as they are transported down the cell as part of the glideosome machinery, and are disassembled at the basal end in a rate-limiting step. Large pores in the IMC, constrained to the basal end, may facilitate actin exchange between the pellicular space and the cytosol for its recycling and maintenance of directional actin flow for efficient gliding. The data also reveal striking and extensive actin bundles in the nucleus. Implications of these structures for motility and transmission are discussed.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2022

Form follows function: Variable microtubule architecture in the malaria parasite

The malaria parasite undergoes a series of extensive morphological changes within its human host and mosquito vector. A scaffold of microtubules beneath a peripheral double membrane establishes and maintains the distinct shapes of all infectious forms, but the underlying structural basis remains unknown. Here we applied in situ electron cryo-tomography after focused ion beam milling to follow changes in the microtubule cytoskeleton throughout the Plasmodium life cycle. This revealed an unexpected level of structural and architectural diversity so far not observed in other organisms. Microtubules in migrating mosquito forms consist of 13 protofilaments reinforced by interrupted luminal helices. Conversely, gametocyte microtubules consist of 13 to 18 protofilaments with doublets, triplets and quadruplets of varying arrangements. We show the microtubule cytoskeleton within the native cellular context, highlighting structurally diverse apical rings which act as microtubule organising centres. This provides a unique view into a relevant human pathogen with an unusual microtubule cytoskeleton.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2021

Characterization of apicomplexan amino acid transporters (ApiATs) in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum

During the symptomatic human blood phase, malaria parasites replicate within red blood cells. Parasite proliferation relies on the uptake of nutrients, such as amino acids, from the host cell and the blood plasma, requiring transport across multiple membranes. Amino acids are delivered to the parasite through the parasite surrounding vacuolar compartment by specialized nutrient-permeable channels of the erythrocyte membrane and the parasitophorous vacuole membrane (PVM). However, further transport of amino acid across the parasite plasma membrane (PPM) is currently not well characterized. In this study, we focused on a family of Apicomplexan amino acid transporters (ApiATs) that comprises five members in Plasmodium falciparum. First, we localized four of the PfApiATs at the PPM using endogenous GFP-tagging. Next, we applied reverse genetic approaches to probe into their essentiality during asexual replication and gametocytogenesis. Upon inducible knockdown and targeted gene disruption a reduced asexual parasite proliferation was detected for PfApiAT2 and PfApiAT4. Functional inactivation of individual PfApiATs targeted in this study had no effect on gametocyte development. Our data suggest that individual PfApiATs are partially redundant during asexual in vitro proliferation and fully redundant during gametocytogenesis of P. falciparum parasites. IMPORTANCEMalaria parasites live and multiply inside cells. To facilitate their extremely fast intracellular proliferation they hijack and transform their host cells. This also requires the active uptake of nutrients, such as amino acids, from the host cell and the surrounding environment through various membranes that are the consequence of the parasites intracellular lifestyle. In this manuscript we focus on a family of putative amino acid transporters termed ApiAT. We show expression and localization of four transporters in the parasite plasma membrane of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes that represent one interface of the pathogen to its host cell. We probed into the impact of functional inactivation of individual transporters on parasite growth in asexual and sexual blood stages of P. falciparum and reveal that only two of them show a modest but significant reduction in parasite proliferation but no impact on gametocytogenesis pointing towards redundancy within this transporter family.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2018

γ-proteobacteria eject their polar flagella under nutrient depletion, retaining flagellar motor relic structures

Bacteria switch only intermittently to motile planktonic lifestyles under favourable conditions. Under chronic nutrient deprivation, however, bacteria orchestrate a switch to stationary phase, conserving energy by altering metabolism and stopping motility. About two-thirds of bacteria use flagella to swim, but how bacteria deactivate this large-molecular machine remains poorly studied. Here we describe the previously unreported ejection of polar sodium-driven motors by {gamma}-proteobacteria. We show that these bacteria eject their flagella at the base of the flagellar hook when nutrients are depleted, leaving a relic of a former flagellar motor in the outer membrane. Subtomogram averages of the full motor and relic reveal that this is an active process, as a plug protein appears in the relic, likely to prevent leakage across their outer membrane. We show that this is a widespread phenomenon demonstrated by the appearance of relic structures in varied {gamma}-proteobacteria including Plesiomonas shigelloides, Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio fischeri, Shewanella putrefaciens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2017

Giant flagellins form thick flagellar filaments in two species of marine Gammaproteobacteria

Flagella, the primary means of motility in bacteria, are helical filaments that function as microscopic propellers composed of thousands of copies of the protein flagellin. Here, we show that many bacteria encode \"giant\" flagellins, greater than a thousand amino acids in length, and that two species that encode giant flagellins, the marine {gamma}- proteobacteria Bermanella marisrubri and Oleibacter marinus, produce monopolar flagellar filaments considerably thicker than filaments composed of shorter flagellin monomers. We confirm that the flagellum from B. marisrubri is built from its giant flagellin. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that the mechanism of evolution of giant flagellins has followed a stepwise process involving an internal domain duplication followed by insertion of an additional novel insert. This work illustrates how \"the\" bacterial flagellum should not be seen as a single, idealised structure, but as a continuum of evolved machines adapted to a range of niches.

microbiology↗