glideosome

GO:0160055 · Other · Multiprotein complex · Proposed

A protein complex composed of at least GAP45 (gliding-associated protein), GAP50 and myosin heavy and light chains. Anchored via GAP50 to the inner membrane complex of motile and invasive forms of apicomplexan parasites and regulates parasite gliding motility and invasion of host cells. [GO:0160055]

Synonyms: actin-myosin glideosome

UniProt location names: UniProt Consortium, CC BY 4.0. Reference label and route sources.

Components

Component	Type	Part of / acts on	Grounding	Genes	Essential	Role
MyoA class XIV myosin heavy chain	Protein	part of	Reviewed label only (reviewed name; no accession asserted)	MyoA	UNKNOWN	Class XIV myosin heavy-chain motor that assembles with light-chain and GAP proteins in the apicomplexan glideosome. `GO:0160055` Gene Ontology defines the glideosome as containing myosin heavy chains. `DOI:10.1083/jcb.200311137` Gaskins et al. 2004 identified TgMyoA in a Toxoplasma glideosome complex.
glideosome myosin light chains	Protein	part of	Reviewed label only (reviewed name; no accession asserted)	MLC1	UNKNOWN	Myosin light-chain partners of the MyoA heavy chain in the glideosome motor. `GO:0160055` Gene Ontology defines the glideosome as containing myosin light chains. `DOI:10.1083/jcb.200311137` Gaskins et al. 2004 identified TgMLC1 in the Toxoplasma glideosome complex.
Glideosome-associated protein 45	Protein	part of	`Pfam:PF29346`	GAP45	UNKNOWN	Glideosome-associated protein constituent of the apicomplexan motor complex. `GO:0160055` Gene Ontology defines the glideosome as containing GAP45. `Pfam:PF29346` Pfam PF29346 is the Glideosome-associated protein 45 family, integrated by InterPro as IPR063210. `DOI:10.1083/jcb.200311137` Gaskins et al. 2004 identified TgGAP45 in the Toxoplasma glideosome complex.
GAP50 membrane receptor	Protein	part of	Reviewed label only (reviewed name; no accession asserted)	GAP50	UNKNOWN	Integral membrane receptor that anchors the MyoA/light-chain/GAP45 motor complex to the inner membrane complex. `GO:0160055` Gene Ontology defines the glideosome as containing GAP50. `DOI:10.1083/jcb.200311137` Gaskins et al. 2004 identified TgGAP50 and reported it as the integral membrane anchor for the Toxoplasma glideosome.

Taxonomic distribution

NCBITaxon:5794 Apicomplexa — COMMON: The glideosome is an apicomplexan myosin-based motor of motile and invasive parasite stages, with components studied in Toxoplasma and Plasmodium. [DOI:10.1016/j.mib.2009.06.008]

Canonical examples

NCBITaxon:5811 Toxoplasma gondii — Apicomplexan model in which the TgMyoA/TgMLC1/TgGAP45/TgGAP50 glideosome complex was identified and localized to the inner membrane complex. [DOI:10.1083/jcb.200311137]

Functions

cell surface adhesin-mediated gliding motility GO:0071980 — The inner-membrane-complex-anchored glideosome drives the actomyosin-dependent gliding motility of apicomplexan parasites.
- GO:0071980 Gene Ontology defines cell surface adhesin-mediated gliding motility as gliding driven by adhesins propelled by membrane motor proteins.
- DOI:10.1016/j.mib.2009.06.008 Daher and Soldati-Favre 2009 review the glideosome as the myosin-based motor for apicomplexan parasite motility.
host-cell invasion — The glideosome supports active entry of motile apicomplexan stages into host cells.
- GO:0160055 Gene Ontology defines the glideosome as regulating parasite gliding motility and invasion of host cells.
- DOI:10.1046/j.1365-2958.2002.03056.x Opitz and Soldati 2002 review the early glideosome model for Toxoplasma gliding and host-cell invasion.

Mechanism graphs

GAP50 anchors the MyoA glideosome at the IMC (FUNCTION)

MyoA, MLC1, GAP45 and GAP50 form an apicomplexan actomyosin motor complex that is anchored to the inner membrane complex and supports parasite gliding motility and host-cell invasion.

Subject	Predicate	Object	Evidence
MyoA class XIV myosin heavy chain	assembles into	glideosome	`DOI:10.1083/jcb.200311137` Gaskins et al. 2004 identified TgMyoA in the Toxoplasma glideosome complex.
glideosome myosin light chains	assembles into	glideosome	`DOI:10.1083/jcb.200311137` Gaskins et al. 2004 identified TgMLC1 in the Toxoplasma glideosome complex.
Glideosome-associated protein 45	assembles into	glideosome	`DOI:10.1083/jcb.200311137` Gaskins et al. 2004 identified TgGAP45 in the Toxoplasma glideosome complex.
GAP50 membrane receptor	anchors	glideosome	`DOI:10.1083/jcb.200311137` Gaskins et al. 2004 identified TgGAP50 as an integral membrane anchor for the glideosome complex.
glideosome	localizes to	inner membrane pellicle complex	`DOI:10.1083/jcb.200311137` Gaskins et al. 2004 localized the Toxoplasma glideosome complex to the IMC.
glideosome	supports	cell surface adhesin-mediated gliding motility	`DOI:10.1016/j.mib.2009.06.008` Daher and Soldati-Favre 2009 review glideosome function in apicomplexan motility.
glideosome	supports	host-cell invasion	`DOI:10.1046/j.1365-2958.2002.03056.x` Opitz and Soldati 2002 review the glideosome as a Toxoplasma invasion motor. `DOI:10.1016/j.mib.2009.06.008` Daher and Soldati-Favre 2009 review glideosome roles in host-cell invasion.

Discussions

CURATION_TODO (OPEN): Resolve exact source-neutral groundings for MyoA, MLC1 or MTIP-like light chains, GAP50, GAP40 and GAPM glideosome proteins. The first glideosome record uses exact Pfam grounding for GAP45 but leaves MyoA, light-chain and GAP50 components reviewed-label-only because broad myosin, EF-hand and metallophosphatase domains do not denote the specific apicomplexan glideosome families. Later Plasmodium studies add GAP40, GAPM proteins and regulatory factors that should be reconciled before expanding this core component set.

Evidence

GO:0160055 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the glideosome protein complex, with GAP45, GAP50, myosin heavy-chain and myosin light-chain constituents.
GO:0032991 QuickGO reports GO:0160055 glideosome as an is-a child of GO:0032991 protein-containing complex.
GO:0071980 Gene Ontology biological-process term for gliding motility driven by surface adhesins and membrane motor proteins.
Pfam:PF29346 Pfam family entry for Glideosome-associated protein 45, integrated into InterPro IPR063210.
DOI:10.1046/j.1365-2958.2002.03056.x Opitz and Soldati 2002, 'The glideosome': a dynamic complex powering gliding motion and host cell invasion by Toxoplasma gondii, Molecular Microbiology.
DOI:10.1083/jcb.200311137 Gaskins et al. 2004, Identification of the membrane receptor of a class XIV myosin in Toxoplasma gondii, Journal of Cell Biology.
DOI:10.1016/j.mib.2009.06.008 Daher and Soldati-Favre 2009, Mechanisms controlling glideosome function in apicomplexans, Current Opinion in Microbiology.

Curation history

2026-10-03T00:55:45Z codex · CREATED_RECORD — Scaffolded by scripts/new_record.py
2026-10-03T00:57:51Z codex · EXPANDED_RECORD — Added protein-containing-complex parentage, actin-myosin synonymy, MyoA/MLC1/GAP45/GAP50 core components with exact GAP45 Pfam grounding, Apicomplexa and Toxoplasma scope, gliding-motility and host-cell-invasion functions, a GAP50-anchored glideosome function graph, and a component grounding TODO.
2026-10-03T01:12:52Z codex · ADDRESS_PR_REVIEW — Addressed PR #1958 review issue #1959 by renaming the MLC1-centered component and causal node to a source-neutral glideosome myosin light-chain cohort while retaining MLC1 as the Toxoplasma gene symbol.

Source: data/structures/other/glideosome.yaml