Protein Palmitoylation and Pathogenesis in Apicomplexan Parasites

Abstract

Apicomplexan parasites comprise a broad variety of protozoan parasites, includingToxoplasma gondii, Plasmodium, Eimeria,andCryptosporidiumspecies. Being intracellular parasites, the success in establishing pathogenesis relies in their ability to infect a host-cell and replicate within it. Protein palmitoylation is known to affect many aspects of cell biology. Furthermore, palmitoylation has recently been shown to affect important processes inT. gondiisuch as replication, invasion, and gliding. Thus, this paper focuses on the importance of protein palmitoylation in the pathogenesis of apicomplexan parasites.