School of Infection & Immunity

Dr Elena Jimenez-Ruiz

Title: Beyond Histones: Protein Methylation as a Regulator of Motility in Apicomplexan Parasites

Synopsis: Dr Elena Jimenez-Ruiz: "Protein methylation is widely recognised for its role in chromatin regulation and gene expression, yet its functions outside the nucleus remain poorly understood. In apicomplexan parasites, the precise coordination of cytoskeletal dynamics and signalling pathways is essential for motility, host cell invasion and survival. In this seminar, I will discuss our recent work uncovering the roles of non-nuclear SET-domain methyltransferases in Toxoplasma gondii, with a particular focus on AKMT and PCKMT. Our findings reveal how these enzymes contribute to the regulation of the parasite's apical machinery, including conoid dynamics, actin organisation and the initiation of motility. I will also explore how protein methylation may act as a broader regulatory mechanism controlling cytoskeletal function and other essential processes throughout the parasite lifecycle."

Bio: Dr Elena Jimenez-Ruiz is a group leader at the Chair of Experimental Parasitology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU), Germany. Her research focuses on the molecular mechanisms that regulate cytoskeletal organisation, motility and host cell invasion in apicomplexan proteomics to investigate the functions of non-nuclear protein methyltransferases and their roles in parasite biology. 

First published: 8 September 2026

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