Mass spectrometry-based characterization of Toxoplasma gondii MORC interactome

T. gondii has a complex life cycle typified by an asexual development taking place in vertebrate, and a sexual reproduction which occurs exclusively in felids and thereby is less studied. The developmental transitions rely on changes in gene expression patterns, and recent studies have assigned roles for chromatin shapers, including histone modifications, in establishing specific epigenetic programs for each given stage. Here, we identified T. gondii microrchidia (MORC) protein as an upstream transcriptional repressor of sexual commitment. We performed affinity purification coupled to tandem mass spectrometry analyses to identify its binding partners.