Macromolecular Mechanisms of Microsporidia Infection Investigated by Cryo Electron Tomography (360G-Wellcome-212439_Z_18_Z)

Microsporidia are eukaryotic, intracellular parasites that infect most animals, including humans. They cause debilitating disease in immunocompromised individuals and are partly responsible for the global decline in honeybee populations. To infect a host cell, microsporidia employ a harpoon-like apparatus called polar tube (PT) that rapidly ejects from the spore, penetrates the membrane of a target tissue cell and transports the spore content (sporoplasm) into it. I propose to investigate the so-far unknown macromolecular architecture and mechanism of the PT using state-of-the-art cryo electron tomography (cryoET). The key goal is to examine the cellular machinery that facilitates PT release, sporoplasm transfer and target membrane penetration. This research will provide 3D molecular maps of the PT in action and thus detailed and dynamic understanding of the microsporidian infection pathway. The research will enrich our knowledge of fundamental cell biology, establish microsporidia as a eukaryotic model system for cryoET, inform new medical approaches to treat microsporidiosis and help fight the decline in honeybee populations. Seed Award funding will pave the way for my career as new independent group leader in the UK, with a high impact biomedical profile and will offer a plethora of opportunities to collaborate with academia and industry downstream.