Host-cell invasion by malaria parasites: insights from Plasmodium and Toxoplasma.
Recent years have seen tremendous progress in our understanding of malaria parasite molecular biology. To a large extent, this progress follows significant developments in genetic, molecular and chemical tools available to study the malaria parasites and related Apicomplexa, in particular Toxoplasma gondii. One area of major advancement has been in understanding parasite host-cell invasion, a process that utilizes several essential molecular mechanisms that are conserved across the different lifecycle stages. Here, we summarize some of the most recent experimental data that shed light on the events underlying preparation and execution of malaria parasite invasion and how these insights might relate to the development of new antimalarial drugs.
Division of Infection and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3050, Australia. jake@wehi.edu.au
Jake
J
Baum
Tim-Wolf
TW
Gilberger
Freddy
F
Frischknecht
Markus
M
Meissner
D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000187:drug effects; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology*; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D000962:Antimalarials