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Mini-Review Article

Plants, endosymbionts and parasites: Abscisic acid and calcium signaling

Kisaburo Nagamune, Liming Xiong, Eduardo Chini and L. David Sibley

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It was recently discovered that the protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii produces and uses the plant hormone, abscisic acid (ABA), for communication. Following intracellular replication, ABA production influences the timing of parasite egress from the host cell. This density-dependent signal may serve to coordinate exit from the host cell in a synchronous manner by triggering calcium-dependent activation of motility. In the absence of ABA production, parasites undergo differentiation to the semi-dormant, tissue cyst. The pathway for ABA production in T. gondii may be derived from a relict endosymbiont, acquired by ingestion of a red algal cell. Although the parasite has lost the capacity for photosynthesis, the plant-like nature of this signaling pathway may be exploited to develop new drugs. In support of this idea, an inhibitor of ABA biosynthesis protected mice against lethal infection with T. gondii. Here, we compare the role of ABA in parasites to its activities in plants, where it is know to control development and stress responses.

Authors

Kisaburo Nagamune

Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine

Liming Xiong

Donald Danforth Plant Science Center

Eduardo Chini

Mayo Clinic and Foundation

L. David Sibley

Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine

This is an open-access article

 Download PDF

If the document does not open, please right-click on the link (control-click on a Macintosh) and select the option to save the file to disk.