Malaria parasites infect red blood cells where they digest host hemoglobin and release free heme inside a lysosome-like organelle called the food v...

The Matthews Lab

Despite spectacular advances in structural biology over the past half-century, only approximately 2% of the structures in the Protein Data Bank are fr…

During three decades, only about 20 new drugs have been developed for malaria, tuberculosis and all neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). This critical situation was reached because NTDs represent only ...

Leishmaniasis is a major public health problem that causes by parasite of the genus Leishmania. The pentavalent antimonial compounds that used for treatment are not safe or effective enough. The aim o...

A decade-long decline in malaria cases has plateaued, primarily due to parasite drug resistance and mosquito resistance to insecticides used in bed ne…

Eukaryotic cells incorporate various molecules through a process known as endocytosis, which is crucial for the cell's survival and reproduction. While this process has been extensively studied in mammalian and yeast cells, significant contributions have also been made by researchers studying pathogenic protists. This review aims to present the most relevant information about the endocytic process in three important trypanosomatids: Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei, and Leishmania. Many protozoa exhibit strong endocytic activity across their entire surface. However, in trypanosomatids, this activity is highly polarized and occurs exclusively in the flagellar pocket. In the case of T. cruzi, endocytosis primarily takes place through the cytostome–cytopharynx complex. This process involves an entry site organization of the cytoskeleton, including the participation of specialized microtubules.

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