# Identifying novel players in Toxoplasma autophagy during chronic infection”

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2021 · $195,000

## Abstract

The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii renders nearly one third of the global human population at risk of
experiencing disease due to reactivation of chronic infection. Current treatments fail to eliminate the slow replicating,
persistent Toxoplasma bradyzoite cysts that seed reactivation and ensuing disease in the eyes, brain, heart or
lungs. Individuals with ocular toxoplasmosis are particularly at risk of experiencing progressive loss of vision due to
sequential periods of reactivation. Our long-term goal is to identify critical liabilities for disrupting Toxoplasma
persistence, thereby precluding reactivated disease in at risk individuals. Toward this goal, we have recently
demonstrated that the viability of bradyzoite cysts in culture and in infected mice relies on the parasite having a
functional autophagy pathway. However, little is known about autophagy in Toxoplasma and exploiting parasite
autophagy to impact infection requires identifying new and divergent components in the pathway. To meet this need,
leveraging our recent genetic screen we will identify novel components of the autophagy pathway by developing for
the first time in T. gondii a “prime editing” approach for pooled identification of phenotype driving single nucleotide
variants, define the general roles of novel components in parasite autophagy, and measure their impact on acute
and chronic infection. Completing the proposed studies is expected to identify at least 4 new and divergent
components of T. gondii autophagy that can be prioritized for deeper analysis and open novel avenues of
investigation in the next phase of this work.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10223735
- **Project number:** 1R21AI160610-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Vernon Bruce Carruthers
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $195,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-03-15 → 2023-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10223735

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10223735, Identifying novel players in Toxoplasma autophagy during chronic infection” (1R21AI160610-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10223735. Licensed CC0.

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