Cryptosporidium Apicomplexa

Cryptosporidium, like Plasmodium falciparum or Toxoplasma gondii, is an apicomplexan parasite that infects both humans and animals. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that the phylum Apicomplexa shares a common ancestor with ciliates and dinoflagellates, which form the clade Alveolata (Ellis et al. 1998 Fig. 10.2). 

vaginalis and other apicomplexa within the mitochondrion-bearing eukaryotes, once again suggesting a common origin of all mitochondrion-derived organelles (LaGier et al. 2003 Fig. 10.3). 

In any case, evidence suggests that Cryptosporidium mitosomes have a complete protein import machinery that shares common features with mitochondrial and hydrogenosomal systems. Once again, both Cpn60 and 

Blastocystis hominis is a unicellular anaerobic organism that inhabits the human intestinal tract, and whose metabolism and life cycle are not completely understood. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of the SSU rRNA sequences (Silberman et al. 1996) and protein-coding sequences (Arisue et al. 2002c) show Blastocystis branching within stramenopiles (heterokonts), a group containing a vast diversity of photosynthetic and heterotrophic protists (Fig. 10.2). 

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Cryptosporidium parvum belongs to the diverse group of intracellular apicomplexans that includes species of human (Babesia microti, Plasmodium falciparum, Toxoplasma gondii) and veterinary (Eimeria tenella, Neospora caninum) importance (Ellis et al. 1998 Fayer 1997 Thompson et al. 2005). While a single mitochondrion is present in most Apicomplexa (McFadden... 

Beyer TV, Svezhova NV, Sidorenko NV, Khokhlov SE (2000) Cryptosporidium parvum (Coccidia Apicomplexa) Some new ultrastructural observations on its endogenous development. Eur J Protistol 36 151-159... 

Chromalveolata Apicomplexa Cryptosporidium EM, protein localisation See Keithly, this volume... 

Apicomplexa 1 ( ) M Cryptosporidium parvum AOX, PNT, IscU, IscS, Fd, MDH, Hsp60, Hsp70 PNO, Narf-like hydrogenase No... 

Apicomplexa (Alveolata) Cryptosporidium hominis Monoxenous (apparently human specific) Yes Yes Human-to-human contact... 

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