| Primary Identifier | IPR008117 | Type | Family |
| Short Name | Microneme_MIC1 |
| description | Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular apicomplexan protozoan parasite, with a complex lifestyle involving varied hosts []. It has two phases of growth: an intestinal phase in feline hosts, and an extra-intestinal phase in other mammals. Oocysts from infected cats develop into tachyzoites, and eventually, bradyzoites and zoitocysts in the extraintestinal host []. Transmission of the parasite occurs through contact with infected cats or raw/undercooked meat; in immunocompromised individuals, it can cause severe and often lethal toxoplasmosis. Acute infection in healthy humans can sometimes also cause tissue damage [].The protozoan utilises a variety of secretory and antigenic proteins to invade a host and gain access to the intracellular environment []. These originate from distinct organelles in the T. gondii cell, termed micronemes, rhoptries, and dense granules. They are released at specific times during invasion to ensure the proteins are allocated to their correct target destinations []. MIC1, a protein secreted from the microneme, is a 456-residue moiety involved in host cell recognition by the parasite []. The protein is released from the apical pole of T. gondii during infection, and attaches tohost-specific receptors []. Recent studies have demonstrated that Mic1 is a lactose-binding lectin, and utilises this to enhance its binding to host endothelial cells []. A homologue of Mic1 found in Neospora caninum interacts with sulphated host cell-surface glycosaminoglycans. |
