A dynamic barrier: remodeling of the nuclear envelope during closed mitosis in malaria parasites

Plasmodium falciparum, the protozoan parasite responsible for the most severe form of human malaria, replicates through an unconventional mode of closed mitosis, where the nuclear envelope (NE) remains intact across multiple asynchronous nuclear divisions. This Full Circle minireview illustrates how a decade-long journey-from early electron microscopy observations of nuclear pore dynamics-has evolved into a broader investigation of NE composition, architecture, and regulation across the parasite life cycle. Advances in imaging, including ultrastructure expansion microscopy and cryo-electron tomography, revealed key features such as the bipartite microtubule organizing center, nuclear pore complex rosettes, and specialized NE scaffolds. Structure-guided and proteomic approaches identified divergent SUN-domain proteins, PfSUN1 and PfSUN2, as essential for NE integrity, genome stability, and chromatin positioning during schizogony. Hi-C analyses further uncovered species- and stage-specific chromatin organization, linking peripheral heterochromatin clustering to virulence gene regulation and life cycle progression. Despite lacking lamins, Plasmodium's NE functions as a dynamic architectural hub that bridges chromatin, spindle microtubules, and organelle inheritance. Open questions remain about the full NE proteome, organelle-NE contact sites, and the possibility that mechanical deformation of the nucleus during red blood cell invasion could influence gene expression. These insights not only redefine Plasmodium cell biology but also position NE-associated components as attractive therapeutic targets. By coupling methodological innovation with conceptual inquiry, the study of NE dynamics in Plasmodium offers a powerful model for uncovering general principles of nuclear organization and adaptation in divergent eukaryotes.