Some parasites provide proteins to cells that they can later attach to for infiltrating the cells. Researchers examine this process.

Aug. 11, 2011

Toxoplasma and Plasmodium parasites cause numerous diseases worldwide, including malaria and toxoplasmosis. Interestingly, these parasites attack host cells in a very active manner, providing the receptor for binding to the host cell. Interaction thus occurs through a protein called AMA1 to a rhoptry neck (RON) complex provided by the parasite and injected into the host cell. Now researchers have used data collected at the CMCF to determined the structure of AMA1 with a RON2 peptide to give insight into this interaction. PDB ID: 2Y8T and 2Y8S.