2. 5 Lack of Scd causes severe defects in organelle biogenesis
Lack of FAS II function in Toxoplasma gondii leads to defects in
apicoplast biogenesis (Mazumdar et al. , 2006). To evaluate
organelle morphology in Scd KO parasites, EEFs fixed at 62 hpi
were immunostained with anti-ACP or anti-Bip antibodies to visualize the
branching of the apicoplast and endoplasmic reticulum, respectively. We
found normal branching of the apicoplast and endoplasmic reticulum in WT
GFP parasites, whereas it was impaired in Scd KO parasites (Fig.
5A and B). Together, these results indicate that the FAS II pathway is
essential for membrane biogenesis and parasite survival.