Phosphorylation networks mediating apicomplexan host cell invasion
Toxoplasma proteins are phosphorylated upon calcium signaling. 2DE gel of 32P radiolabelled Toxoplasma proteins. Red arrows point to proteins that are phosphorylated upon calcium pathway stimulation.
We are using the latest proteomics techniques to reveal how protein phosphorylation mediates parasite invasion. We have developed quantitative measures of phosphorylation which we are applying to the whole proteome to measure changes upon Toxoplasma and Plasmodium host cell invasion. The combination of these procedures with mutants that we create in Characterisation of molecules controlling the initiation of host cell invasion will enable us to pinpoint the exact role of particular molecules in phosphorylation networks that modulate host cell invasion.