Dissecting erythrocyte invasion mechanisms by the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.

疟疾寄生虫是顶复门中最重要的成员，顶复门是一个巨大且非常成功的细胞内寄生虫群。宿主细胞的入侵允许顶复门寄生虫在一个很大程度上免受宿主防御的小生境中获得丰富的营养源。与许多其他病原体相比，疟原虫属（Plasmodium spp.）可以通过使用它们自己的入侵装置快速进入细胞来识别、穿透和建立自己，从而有效地感染它们的宿主。所有顶复门都采用这种共同的宿主细胞进入模式，但个别物种具有独特的特征，并利用一组特定的配体-受体相互作用。

The malaria parasite is the most important member of the Apicomplexa, a large and highly successful group of intracellular parasites. Invasion of host cells allows apicomplexan parasites access to a rich source of nutrients in a niche that is largely protected from host defenses. In contrast to many other pathogenic organisms, Plasmodium spp. can efficiently infect their hosts by rapidly gaining entry to cells using their own invasion apparatus to identify, penetrate, and establish themselves. All Apicomplexa adopt this common mode of host-cell entry but individual species incorporate unique features and utilize a specific set of ligand-receptor interactions.