Targeted CRISPR screens reveal genes essential for Cryptosporidium survival in the host intestine.

ABSTRACT: The Cryptosporidium parasite is one of the leading causes of diarrheal morbidity and mortality in children, and adolescent infections are associated with chronic malnutrition. There are no vaccines available for protection and only one drug approved for treatment that has limited efficacy. A major barrier to developing new therapeutics is a lack of foundational knowledge of Cryptosporidium biology, including which parasite genes are essential for survival and virulence. Here, we iteratively improve the tools for genetically manipulating Cryptosporidium and develop a targeted CRISPR-based screening method to rapidly assess how the loss of individual parasite genes influence survival in vivo. Using this method, we examine the parasite's pyrimidine salvage pathway and a set of leading Cryptos

SUBMITTER: Watson LC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12368253 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature