Abstract:
Microsporidia are divergent fungal pathogens that employ a harpoon-like apparatus called the polar tube (PT) to invade host cells. The PT architecture and its association with neighboring organelles remain poorly understood. Here, we use cryo-electron tomography to investigate the structural cell biology of the PT in dormant spores from the human-infecting microsporidian species, Encephalitozoon intestinalis . Segmentation and subtomogram averaging of the PT reveal at least four layers: two protein-based layers surrounded by a membrane, and filled with a dense core. Regularly spaced protein filaments form the structural skeleton of the PT. Combining cryo-electron tomography with cellular modeling, we propose a model for the 3-dimensional organization of the polaroplast, an organelle that is continuous with the membrane layer that envelops the PT. Our results reveal the ultrastructure of the microsporidian invasion apparatus in situ , laying the foundation for understanding infection mechanisms.