Iron localization and speciation in the parasite Toxoplasma gondii

Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous intracellular parasite, able to infect almost all warm blooded species and most cell types. This promiscuity requires sophisticated mechanisms to sense, subvert and store nutrients from host cells. Iron is an essential element for almost all life on earth, including T. gondii, however the reactivity which makes it so valuable in enzymatic reactions can be harmful to cells. For this reason, iron is tightly regulated and carefully stored within cells, however the mechanisms by which divergent eukaryotes such as Toxoplasma do this are largely unknown. We are interested in iron in the context of T. gondii infection, specifically where iron is stored within the cells and how infection modulates the host cell iron response. Using the facility at the ESRF, we hope to resolve these questions and determine for the first time how and where iron is stored in the parasite and how it alters the iron balance of the host cell