Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 1, 2026

Understanding the Development of Compensatory Pathways in a Mutant Malaria Parasite Harbouring Hypomorphic Allele of Plant-Like Kinases
09:13

Understanding the Development of Compensatory Pathways in a Mutant Malaria Parasite Harbouring Hypomorphic Allele of Plant-Like Kinases

Published on: November 22, 2024

Hijacking of host cellular functions by the Apicomplexa

Fabienne Plattner1, Dominique Soldati-Favre

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva CMU, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland. Fabienne.Plattner@medecine.unige.ch

Annual Review of Microbiology
|September 13, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Intracellular pathogens like viruses, bacteria, and protozoa hijack host cell functions. These parasites manipulate cellular processes for nutrients and to evade immune responses, demonstrating sophisticated subversion strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Cellular microbiology
  • Parasitology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Intracellular pathogens, including viruses and bacteria, are known to subvert host cellular functions.
  • Protozoan parasites, particularly Apicomplexa, also manipulate host cells for survival and replication.
  • Examples include nutrient acquisition, immune evasion, and modulation of host cell processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the diverse strategies employed by intracellular pathogens to hijack host cell functions.
  • To illustrate how protozoan parasites subvert host cell processes for their benefit.
  • To provide examples of parasitic manipulation of host cell compartments and functions.

Main Methods:

  • Review and synthesis of existing literature on host-pathogen interactions.
  • Comparative analysis of parasitic strategies across different intracellular pathogens.
  • Case studies focusing on Toxoplasma gondii, Plasmodium falciparum, and Theileria parva.

Main Results:

  • Viruses and bacteria target key cellular functions like protein synthesis, membrane trafficking, gene expression, antigen presentation, and apoptosis.
  • Protozoan parasites, such as Apicomplexa, exhibit sophisticated hijacking mechanisms.
  • Specific examples include the manipulation of the parasitophorous vacuole (Toxoplasma gondii), surface protein export (Plasmodium falciparum), and lymphocyte transformation (Theileria parva).

Conclusions:

  • Intracellular pathogens extensively subvert host cell machinery for their own advantage.
  • Protozoan parasites demonstrate remarkable adaptations in manipulating host cell functions.
  • Understanding these parasitic strategies is crucial for developing effective therapeutic interventions.

More Related Videos

Tractable Mammalian Cell Infections with Protozoan-primed Bacteria13:54

Tractable Mammalian Cell Infections with Protozoan-primed Bacteria

Published on: April 2, 2013

Preparing Lamellae from Vitreous Biological Samples Using a Dual-Beam Scanning Electron Microscope for Cryo-Electron Tomography07:00

Preparing Lamellae from Vitreous Biological Samples Using a Dual-Beam Scanning Electron Microscope for Cryo-Electron Tomography

Published on: August 5, 2021

Related Concept Videos

Diversity of Protists II01:27

Diversity of Protists II

Alveolates are a group of organisms recognized by the presence of alveoli, which are cytoplasmic sacs located beneath the cell membrane. While their function remains uncertain, alveoli may help regulate water balance by controlling how much water enters and leaves the cell. In dinoflagellates, these structures may serve as armor plates. There are three major types of alveolates: ciliates, which move using cilia; dinoflagellates, which use flagella for movement; and apicomplexans, which are...
Malaria01:29

Malaria

Malaria pathogenesis in humans reflects a delicate interplay between parasite biology and host response. Clinical illness reflects a host’s immune response to the parasite’s asexual replication cycle, which is often asymptomatic in individuals with partial immunity. From the parasite's perspective, transmission between mosquito and human with minimal host pathology is evolutionarily advantageous. Among the six Plasmodium species infecting humans, P. falciparum and P. vivax dominate in global...
Fungal Phylum Microsporidia01:28

Fungal Phylum Microsporidia

Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular fungi that were initially classified as protists but were later reclassified based on phylogenetic, molecular, and structural evidence linking them to the Chytridiomycota. These unicellular, non-motile organisms are highly specialized parasites that infect a wide range of animal hosts, including humans. They have evolved extensive genomic and metabolic reductions, making them highly dependent on their hosts for survival.Morphology and Genomic...
Colonisation of Pathogens01:25

Colonisation of Pathogens

Pathogen colonization of host tissues is a critical step in the development of infectious diseases. Various pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa, have evolved complex strategies to attach to, invade, and persist within host environments. These mechanisms enable pathogens to establish infections, evade immune responses, and resist antimicrobial treatments.Attachment to Host CellsIn bacteria, colonization typically begins with adherence to host epithelial...
Microbial Interactions: Parasitism01:22

Microbial Interactions: Parasitism

Parasitism is a form of microbial interaction in which parasitic microbes exploit a host organism for nutrients and shelter, often at the host's expense. Unlike mutualistic relationships, where both organisms benefit, parasitism benefits only the parasite and harms the host.Classification of ParasitesMicrobial parasites are broadly classified based on their location relative to the host.Ectoparasites remain on the host’s surface, such as the skin or outer tissues, drawing nutrients...
Symbiosis00:58

Symbiosis

Symbiotic relationships are long-term, close interactions between individuals of different species that affect the distribution and abundance of those species. When a relationship is beneficial to both species, this is called mutualism. When the relationship is beneficial to one species but neither beneficial nor harmful to the other species, this is called commensalism. When one organism is harmed to benefit another, the relationship is known as parasitism. These types of relationships often...