EhRab21 associates with the Golgi apparatus in Entamoeba histolytica.

ABSTRACT

Rab proteins constitute the largest group of small GTPases and act as molecular switches in a wide variety of cellular processes, including proliferation, cytoskeleton assembly, and membrane trafficking in all eukaryotic cells. Rab21 has been reported in several eukaryotic cells, and our results suggest that in Entamoeba histolytica, Rab21 is involved in the vesicular traffic associated with the Golgi apparatus, where its function appears to be important to maintain the structure of this organelle. In addition, proteins such as Rab1A and Sec24, identified in this work associated with EhRab21, participate in the traffic of COPII vesicles from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus and are necessary to maintain the latter's structure in human cells. In addition, EhRab21 probably affects the lysosome biogenesis, as indicated by an increase in the number of lysosomes as a result of the increase in EhRab21 activity. The participation of EhRab21 in the pathogenesis of amebiasis was verified on the amoebic liver abscess formation model using hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus), in which the overexpression of EhRab21Q64L (positive dominant mutant protein) decreased the number of liver abscesses formed.