Parasite biology articles within Nature

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Structural studies show how the PfRCR complex of Plasmodium falciparum forms a bridge between erythrocyte and parasite membranes, and how PfCyRPA-binding antibodies neutralize invasion through a steric mechanism, opening the way to new approaches in rational vaccine design.

    • Brendan Farrell
    • , Nawsad Alam
    •  & Matthew K. Higgins

  • Article |

    Genetic exchange of Leishmania parasites in the sand fly host is mediated by natural IgM antibodies, providing insights that will help generate reproducible and increased recovery of backcrosses for research purposes.

    • Tiago D. Serafim
    • , Eva Iniguez
    •  & Jesus G. Valenzuela

  • Article |

    Cryo-electron microscopy analysis of the purified Plasmodium translocon of exported proteins (PTEX) reveals two distinct resolved states, suggesting a mechanism by which Plasmodium falciparum exports malarial effector proteins into erythrocytes.

    • Chi-Min Ho
    • , Josh R. Beck
    •  & Z. Hong Zhou

  • Letter |

    Structural studies show that conserved residues in Plasmodium vivax reticulocyte-binding protein 2b determine interactions with transferrin receptor 1 that are essential for host invasion, suggesting avenues for designing vaccines that work across P. vivax strains.

    • Jakub Gruszczyk
    • , Rick K. Huang
    •  & Wai-Hong Tham

  • Letter |

    Artemisinins are key anti-malarial drugs, but artemisinin resistance has been increasing; this study identifies the molecular target of artemisinins as phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase and increase of the lipid product phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate induces resistance in Plasmodium falciparum.

    • Alassane Mbengue
    • , Souvik Bhattacharjee
    •  & Kasturi Haldar

  • Letter |

    Plasmodium parasites, the causative agent of malaria, infect and remodel red blood cells by exporting hundreds of proteins into the red blood cell cytosol, a topological conundrum given that the parasite resides in a compartment known as the parasitophorous vacuole; here a dihydrofolate-reductase-based destabilization domain approach is used to inactivate HSP101, part of the Plasmodium translocon of exported proteins, and to demonstrate that it is required for the secretion of all classes of exported Plasmodium proteins.

    • Josh R. Beck
    • , Vasant Muralidharan
    •  & Daniel E. Goldberg

  • Letter |

    Entamoeba histolytica, the causative agent of fatal diarrhoeal disease in children in the developing world, is shown here to kill human cells by biting off and ingesting pieces of cells, in a process reminiscent of the trogocytosis seen between immune cells; ingestion of bites is required for killing and this mechanism is used both in tissue culture and during invasion of intestinal explants.

    • Katherine S. Ralston
    • , Michael D. Solga
    •  & William A. Petri Jr

  • Article |

    The lipid kinase phosphatidylinositol-4-OH kinase (PI(4)K) is identified as a target of the imidazopyrazines, a new antimalarial compound class that can inhibit several Plasmodium species at each stage of the parasite life cycle; the imidazopyrazines exert their inhibitory action by interacting with the ATP-binding pocket of PI(4)K.

    • Case W. McNamara
    • , Marcus C. S. Lee
    •  & Elizabeth A. Winzeler

  • Outlook |

    Nine experts give their opinion on the 'known unknowns' in malaria research.

    • Brendan S. Crabb
    • , James G. Beeson
    •  & Solomon Nwaka

  • Letter |

    Five current human African trypanosomiasis drugs are used for genome-scale RNA interference target sequencing screens in Trypanosoma brucei, and reveal the transporters, organelles, enzymes and metabolic pathways that function to facilitate antitrypanosomal drug action.

    • Sam Alsford
    • , Sabine Eckert
    •  & David Horn

  • News & Views |

    The transition by certain nematode worms to plant parasitism, and possibly more generally to herbivory, is illuminated by an investigation into how nematodes acquired the protein weapons to penetrate the plant cell wall.

    • Noah K. Whiteman
    •  & Andrew D. Gloss

  • Letter |

    'Horizontal gene transfer' refers to the passage of genetic material between non-mating species. Transposable elements (transposons) may be especially prone to horizontal gene transfer, but the mechanisms by which they can spread across diverged species have been elusive. Here it is shown that transposons can spread by hitchhiking in the genomes of parasites. The amount of DNA that can be transferred in this way underscores the impact of horizontal gene transfer on genome evolution.

    • Clément Gilbert
    • , Sarah Schaack
    •  & Cédric Feschotte

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