Cell

Organelle

Cell polarity

Effector

Biology

Immunology

Malaria

Plasmodium falciparum

Rhoptry

Apicomplexa

Cell biology

Genetics

Cell Host & Microbe

The parasite Cryptosporidium infects enterocytes and causes severe diarrheal disease. Guérin et al. used live imaging to unravel the mechanism of parasite invasion and discover proteins secreted in this process that modify the host cell. Identifying such molecular interactions between parasite and host is key to understand and combat infection.

Cryptosporidium rhoptry effector protein ROP1 injected during invasion targets the host cytoskeletal modulator LMO7