Apicomplexa: Plasmodium

Classification

• Domain: Eukaryota• Superphylum: Alveolata• Phylum:

Apicomplexa• Class: Aconoidasida• Order: Haemosporida• Family:

Plasmodiidae• Genus:

Plasmodium

Parasitic

• At least 10 of the 200+ species of the genus Plasmodium infect humans.

• Other species of Plasmodium infect animals, such as birds, reptiles and rodents.

• The two hosts that a parasite always will have in their life cycle are the mosquito vector and the vertebrate host.

• An infection with Plasmodium (parasites) is known as Malaria

Key Features

• To distinguish these Parasites: – Their ring like shape– They are tubular– There filamentous organelles at the apical

end of the body

Life Cycle

Structure

Apicoplast

• Apicoplast is a unique organelle to Apicomplexans

• Too much is not known of the functions of the apicoplasts.

• Although, it is known to be vital for the parasites survival.

• The destruction of the Apicoplast does not kill parasite immediately, but prevents it from invading host cells.

• Product of secondary endosymbiosis

Evolution

• Evolution for Plasmodium occurred 130 million years ago.

• Same time, there was a rapid spread of Angiosperms (flowering plants).

• One explanation to evolution is that as angiosperms spread, mosquitoes increased, and thus the Plasmodium was spread out too.

(Plasmodium relictum *pointed by arrows*)

Plasmodium Vivax

Biomedical

• Since these parasites are eukaryotes, drugs that might kill Apicomplexans might also harm the human host.

• No effective vaccines• Research is hard

because very difficult to maintain live Plasmodium parasite culture.

Plasmodium Falciparum

Plasmodium Bergei Bergei

Miscellaneous

• 14 chromosomes, one mitochondria, and one plastid.

• Motile structures are absent except in certain gamete stages

• They are unicellular, spore-forming, and exclusively parasites of animals.

• The genus was created in 1885 by Marchiafava and Celli.