#apicomplexa

Tipped Off

Apicomplexan parasites attack cells head on. There are thousands of species of these parasites, and they cause diseases from malaria to toxoplasmosis, but they all share certain characteristics, including key features of their movement. A new study examining how the particularly successful Toxoplasma gondii invades cells and spreads through tissues, investigated the apical complex at the leading tip of the parasite that connects first with cells. The researchers discovered a new component, the Preconoidal region protein 2 (Pcr2, stained green, gathered at the tips of the parasite pictured). Parasites with Pcr2 removed moved in a spasmodic way, which reduced their ability to move in and out of cells, limiting the destruction they could cause to host tissues and interrupting the life cycle. This opens up new avenues of understanding around how mechanical interactions impact parasite motility, how persistent movement influences invasiveness, and perhaps points to new approaches to tackle infection.

Written by Anthony Lewis

Image from work by Jonathan Munera Lopez and colleagues

Biodesign Center for Mechanisms of Evolution/School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in PLOS Pathogens, August 2022

Scientists have detected for the first time the presence of the blood parasite Babesia sp. in Antarctic penguins, specifically a population of Chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica) in Deception Island, South Shetlands, Antarctica. 

Babesia is a malaria-like parasite, also called a “piroplasm,” that infects red blood cells; the disease is asymptomatic or mild with flu-like symptoms. In other cases, symptoms are characterized by irregular fevers, chills, headaches, general lethargy, pain, and malaise. In humans , if left untreated Babesia infections can develop into shock-like symptoms with pulmonary edema and renal failure.  

The tick vector Ixodes uriae s the predominant tick on the Antarctic peninsula. This species has a circumpolar distribution in both tremispireres and is associated with or known to parasitize 48 (o more) species of seabirds

Although examined penguins appear to be healthy researchers can not yet assess how they are affected by infection - says Barbosa, who lead the study. The effect of Babesia infection in these penguins is unknown

Photos: The parasite Babesia seen under the microscope and ticks, Ixodes uriae, which transmit the disease and Chinstrap penguins . Montero et al and Andres Barbosa

http://billgatesfeed.nonissue.com/2014/11/04/the-fever-how-malaria-has-ruled-humankind-for-500000-years/ - #BillGates #Microsoft

The Fever: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years

http://billgatesfeed.nonissue.com/2014/11/03/bill-gates-we-can-eradicate-malaria-within-a-generation-2/ - #BillGates #Microsoft

Bill Gates: We Can Eradicate Malaria Within a Generation

http://billgatesfeed.nonissue.com/2014/11/03/bill-gates-we-can-eradicate-malaria-within-a-generation/ - #BillGates #Microsoft

Bill Gates: We Can Eradicate Malaria Within a Generation

1 Definition

Bei der Art Plasmodium vivax handelt es sich um einen Einzeller aus der Familie der Plasmodien, der als Erreger der Malaria tertiana klinische Bedeutung erlangt hat. Obwohl die von dieser Protozoenart hervorgerufene Malariaart als relativ gutartig zählt, so ist sie aufgrund ihrer extremen Häufigkeit dennoch für zahlenmäßig relativ viele Todesfälle durch Malaria verantwortlich. Man…