Crossing the Vacuolar Rubicon: Structural Insights into Effector Protein Trafficking in Apicomplexan Parasites.

ABSTRACT: Apicomplexans form a large phylum of parasitic protozoa, including the genera Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, and Cryptosporidium, the causative agents of malaria, toxoplasmosis, and cryptosporidiosis, respectively. They cause diseases not only in humans but also in animals, with dramatic consequences in agriculture. Most apicomplexans are vacuole-dwelling and obligate intracellular parasites; as they invade the host cell, they become encased in a parasitophorous vacuole (PV) derived from the host cellular membrane. This creates a parasite-host interface that acts as a protective barrier but also constitutes an obstacle through which the pathogen must import nutrients, eliminate wastes, and eventually break free upon egress. Completion of the parasitic life cycle requires intense rem

SUBMITTER: Egea PF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7355975 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature