Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is a member of the phylum Apicomplexa: a diverse group of largely parasitic organisms that contains a number of human pathogens. Toxoplasma gondii has a typical heteroxenous life cycle, alternating between sexual replication in members of the cat family, which serve as the definitive host, and asexual replication in a wide range of warm-blooded vertebrates that serve as intermediate hosts. Apicomplexan parasites have complex life cycles involving both asexual and sexual replication in a variety of invertebrate and vertebrate hosts. The extent to which sexual recombination occurs in different apicomplexan species varies greatly: in organisms like Plasmodium it is essential for transmission, while in the case of Toxoplasma gondii and asexual replicating stages can also give rise to infection of naïve hosts. The ability to cross strains experimentally has been exploited to develop conventional genetic mapping strategies in T. gondii. Genetic mapping provides a forward genetic system for analyzing complex biological traits, including drug resistance, growth, virulence, and induction of host immune responses. Classical genetic analysis offers the most promise when combined with other technologies, such as reverse genetics, comparative genomics, and gene expression studies. © 2007

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationToxoplasma Gondii
PublisherElsevier Ltd
Pages367-389
Number of pages23
ISBN (Print)9780123695420
DOIs
StatePublished - 2007

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