Cooperative binding of ApiAP2 transcription factors is crucial for the expression of virulence genes in Toxoplasma gondii. [RNA-seq]. Cooperative binding of ApiAP2 transcription factors is crucial for the expression of virulence genes in Toxoplasma gondii. [RNA-seq]

Toxoplasma gondii is a unicellular eukaryote belonging to the Apicomplexa phylum. It is an obligate intracellular parasite of critical importance to primarily infected pregnant women and immunosuppressed patient. ApiAP2 are a family of conserved transcription factors (TF) that play an important role in regulating gene expression in apicomplexan parasites. Previous studies had revealed the ability of one of these TFs, TgAP2XI-5, to bind to transcriptionally active promoters of genes expressed during the S/M phase such as rhoptry and micronemes genes. However, expression of TgAP2XI-5 is constitutive during the tachyzoite cell cycle. To better understand how its function is regulated, we identified proteins interacting with TgAP2XI-5 including a cell cycle regulated ApiAP2 TFs, TgAP2X-5. The purpose of the study is to determine the impact of the absence of a TF (TgAP2X-5) on the wide expression profile of a Toxoplasma gondii strain. Overall design: mRNA profiles of wild type (WT) and iKD TgAP2X-5 parasites generated by high throughput sequencing using HiSeq 2500 system (Illumina)