Prof. Boris Striepen, University of Georgia

What do human parasites do with a chloroplast anyway?

Biochemistry Seminar Series

Apicomplexan parasites are a major threat to human health causing malaria and a variety of AIDS associated opportunistic infections. One of the most promising targets for chemotherapeutic intervention for this group of pathogens is the apicoplast. The apicoplast is a unique parasite organelle that was derived from a red algal endosymbiont. Genome analyses suggest that the apicoplast is engaged in a variety of biosynthetic activities that could be targeted for drug development. Using Toxoplasma gondii as a genetic model organism we are dissecting the apicoplast metabolism to identify the most effective choke points. Taking a broader biological view we are interested to understand which of the endosymbiont’s functions is most critical and the reason for the continued presence of a plastid long after the loss of photosynthesis. Genetic approaches have also been highly informative to understand the cell biology of this endosymbiotic realationship and we will discuss recent advances.

See http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=striepen for recent publications

 For more information contact Prof. Wendy Kelly (404-385-1154).