Toxoplasma gondii attachment and invasion: architecture, assembly and recognition of microneme protein complexes

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A parasite colonises and grows in a different organism and while it is not a benefit to the host, it can often cause disease. The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is both a single-celled and animal-like organism. It is a major cause of congenital birth defects, as well as being often associated with immuno-compromised patients (e.g. AIDS) and an important veterinary pathogen. As one of the most common parasitic infections of man and animals, infecting more than 500 million people worldwide, T. gondii has a large socio-economic impact. Current treatments have toxic side effects with low efficacy and a vaccine has yet to be developed, therefore T. gondii represents a highly underestimated public health problem. We propose to study the mechanisms by which T. gondii are able colonise and invade hosts from the atomic standpoint, which will provide guidance for the rational design of drugs and vaccines.