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Related Experiment Videos

Origin, targeting, and function of the apicomplexan plastid.

D S Roos1, M J Crawford, R G Donald

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6018, USA. droos@sas.upenn.edu

Current Opinion in Microbiology
|August 25, 1999
PubMed
Summary

The discovery of a plastid in parasites like Plasmodium explains antibiotic mechanisms and reveals a unique organelle. This finding offers new avenues for drug design and understanding evolutionary genetic transfer.

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Area of Science:

  • Parasitology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Apicomplexan parasites (e.g., Plasmodium, Toxoplasma) possess unique intracellular structures and are targets for antibiotics.
  • The function and origin of these structures, including enigmatic DNA and membrane systems, remained unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To resolve long-standing mysteries regarding antibiotic action and subcellular structures in apicomplexan parasites.
  • To investigate the role of the apicomplexan plastid in evolution and organelle biology.

Main Methods:

  • Discovery and characterization of a plastid organelle in apicomplexan parasites.
  • Analysis of the plastid's role in antibiotic mechanisms and its genetic material.
  • Investigation of protein targeting to secondary endosymbiotic organelles.

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Main Results:

  • Identified a plastid in Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, and related parasites, explaining antibiotic efficacy.
  • Located a 35 kb episomal DNA within the plastid and elucidated the nature of its multi-membrane structure.
  • Highlighted the significance of lateral genetic transfer in the evolution of these organelles.

Conclusions:

  • The apicomplexan plastid is key to understanding parasite biology and drug action.
  • This organelle provides a model for studying protein targeting to secondary endosymbionts.
  • Further research combining genetic and genomic analyses will reveal metabolic pathways and identify new drug targets.