Dissecting erythrocyte invasion mechanisms by the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.

疟疾寄生虫是顶体复合体的最重要成员，顶体复合体是一大群非常成功的细胞内寄生虫。寄主细胞的入侵使顶端复合体寄生虫能够在很大程度上免受宿主防御的利基中获得丰富的营养来源。与许多其他病原生物不同的是，疟原虫属。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Apicomplexa都采用这种共同的宿主-细胞进入模式，但个别物种结合了独特的特征并利用了一套特定的配体-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.