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The metabolic roles of the endosymbiotic organelles of Toxoplasma and Plasmodium spp
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

The metabolic roles of the endosymbiotic organelles of Toxoplasma and Plasmodium spp

Lilach Sheiner, Akhil B Vaidya and Geoffrey I McFadden
Current opinion in microbiology, v 16(4), pp 452-458
Aug 2013
PMID: 23927894
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mib.2013.07.003View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Electron Transport Animals Models, Biological Humans Plasmodium - metabolism Apicoplasts - metabolism Lipid Metabolism Mitochondria - metabolism Mammals Toxoplasma - metabolism Citric Acid Cycle
The apicoplast and the mitochondrion of Apicomplexa cooperate in providing essential metabolites. Their co-evolution during the ancestral acquisition of a plastid and subsequent loss of photosynthesis resulted in divergent metabolic pathways compared with mammals and plants. This is most evident in their chimerical haem synthesis pathway. Toxoplasma and Plasmodium mitochondria operate canonical tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycles and electron transport chains, although the roles differ between Toxoplasma tachyzoites and Plasmodium erythrocytic stages. Glutamine catabolism provides TCA intermediates in both parasites. Isoprenoid precursor synthesis is the only essential role of the apicoplast in Plasmodium erythrocytic stages. An apicoplast-located fatty acid synthesis is dispensable in these stages, which instead predominantly salvage fatty acids, while in Plasmodium liver stages and in Toxoplasma tachyzoites fatty acid synthesis is an essential role of the plastid.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
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Web of Science research areas
Microbiology
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