# Understanding the highly divergent mitochondrial ATP synthase in T. gondii

> **NIH NIH R00** · UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA · 2020 · $248,999

## Abstract

7. PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Apicomplexan parasites are among the most common and deadly pathogens of humans. For example,
T. gondii infects an estimated 25% of the world's population and Plasmodium spp. contributes to nearly one
million deaths each year. A key feature of apicomplexans is their ability to survive in a wide variety of
environments as they transfer between hosts or enter and exit host cells. The wide range of cells that these
parasites can infect reflects the plasticity of their metabolism, which undoubtedly evolved to allow their survival
within the diverse host niches they colonize.
Mitochondria are the metabolic hubs of the eukaryotic cell. Reactions within the mitochondria must adapt to the
available carbon sources and the cellular energetic needs. Apicomplexan parasites possess a single
mitochondrion responsible for these processes. Within the mitochondria, the ATP synthase couples the proton-
motive force generated by respiration to ATP synthesis and thus plays a key role in metabolic plasticity.
However, sequence-based searches have failed to identify several key subunits of the ATP synthase in the
genome of apicomplexans. This exemplifies how the ATP synthase, and mitochondrial function in general, are
poorly understood aspects of apicomplexan biology. The goal of this proposal is to identify the missing
components of the apicomplexan ATP synthase by using T. gondii as a model and understand the role that this
enzyme plays in mitochondrial physiology. The proposed project also aims to isolate mitochondria from
T. gondii, paving the way to an unprecedented inventory of its proteins, DNA, and lipids. Characterizing the
ATP synthase as well as determining a mitochondrial metabolome will be of broad interest to the fields of
molecular parasitology. These studies will open new perspectives on the divergent apicomplexan metabolism
and provide opportunities to develop urgently needed anti-parasitic therapies.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10056323
- **Project number:** 4R00AI137218-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Diego Huet
- **Activity code:** R00 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $248,999
- **Award type:** 4N
- **Project period:** 2020-04-01 → 2022-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10056323

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10056323, Understanding the highly divergent mitochondrial ATP synthase in T. gondii (4R00AI137218-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10056323. Licensed CC0.

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