TgPRO is an RNA binding protein from T. gondii that binds transcripts that encode proteins with various metabolic functions

Apicomplexan parasites, including the agents of malaria and toxoplasmosis, similarly encounter crowding within the confined environment of infected cells, yet they lack clear homologs for the regulators of gene expression other species employ during metabolic adaptation.

We performed a genome-wide screen in the apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii to identify genes that support parasite fitness at high multiplicity of infection. The screen revealed increased demand on NAD+ biosynthesis at high density, which is a common feature of crowding, in addition to several parasite-specific factors. Among the previously uncharacterized factors, we found an RNA-binding protein we called T. gondii Parasite Response to Oxidation (TgPRO) for its newfound role regulating the metabolic response to oxidative stress.