Apicomplexans
By Levi Clancy for Student Reader on
updated
| Organism | Host | Disease |
|---|---|---|
Plasmodium | Humans | Malaria |
Humans | Toxoplasmosis | |
Cryptosporidium | Humans | Cryptosporidiosis |
Eimeria | Animals | Coccidiosis |
Theileria | Animals | Theileriosis |
Babesia | Animals | Babesiosis |
Neospora | Animals | Neosporosis |
Apicomplexans Have Three Genomes
| Genome | Overview |
|---|---|
Mitochondrial | 6 kb tandem repeat; CO1, COII, Cyb; Fragmented rRNA |
Nuclear | 11 chromosomes; 80 x 106 bp haploid; Map unit 150-300 kb |
35 kb genome; Plastid like rRNA; rpoB, tufA, clpC |
Apicomplexans Have Apically Specialized Organelles
| Organelle | Purpose | Description |
|---|---|---|
Polar Ring | Microtubules | |
Conoid | ||
Micronemes | Invasion | Cell attachment |
Rhoptries | Invasion | Vacuole formation |
Dense Granules | Invasion | Modify vacuole |
Secretory/Exocytic Organelles
The apical complex consists of four organelles: micronemes; rhoptries; dense granules; and conoid. The former three are needed for host cell invasion, whereby each organelle sequentially discharges its contents.
| Organelle | Description |
|---|---|
Micronemes | Mediate cell attachment (T0-15s). |
Rhoptries | Involved in vacuole formation (T20-50s). |
Dense Granules | Modifies intracellular vacuole (T60-1200s). |
