Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 11, 2026

Tractable Mammalian Cell Infections with Protozoan-primed Bacteria
Published on: April 2, 2013
Programmed cell death in unicellular parasites: a prerequisite for sustained infection?
Ger van Zandbergen1, Carsten G K Lüder, Volker Heussler
1University of Ulm, Germany.
Abstract:
The detection of markers typical for metazoan programmed cell death (PCD) in diverse protozoan parasites raised a debate about the evolution of PCD processes and its impact on the biology of single-celled parasites. By applying the unified criteria recently developed for metazoan cell death, the conclusion is made that cell death in protozoan parasites also occurs in a programmed fashion. Several molecules or pathways which regulate PCD in higher eukaryotes have been implicated in the death of unicellular parasites. Furthermore, we emphasize that PCD enables the regulation of parasite densities in distinct host compartments and aids in avoiding inflammatory responses, thereby facilitating a sustained infection. We therefore propose that PCD pathways might represent ideal targets to combat protozoan parasites by their own means.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Overview of Cell Death
Cell death was observed in the early 19th century, but there was no experimental evidence to prove it. In 1842, Carl Vogt first discovered cell death in a metamorphic toad; however, it was not termed ‘cell death.’ Scientists discovered different cell death pathways only in the 20th century...
Necrosis
Morphological Manifestations of Necrosis
Necrotic cells show different types of morphological appearance depending on the type of tissue and infection. In coagulative necrosis, cells become anucleated and die, but their...
Microbial Interactions: Parasitism
Cellular Injury IlI: Cellular Death
Diversity of Protists II
Cell-mediated Immune Responses

