Rhoptry organelles of the apicomplexa: Their role in host cell invasion and intracellular survival

Members of the phylum Apicomplexa are obligate intracellular parasites that invade erythrocytes, lymphocytes, macrophages or cells of the alimentary canal in various vertebrate species. Organelles within the apical complex of invasive stages facilitate host cell invasion. Parasites in this phylum cause some of the most debilitating diseases of medical and veterinary importance. These include malaria, toxoplasmosis, babesiosis, theileriosis (East Coast fever), and coccidiosis in poultry and livestock. In recent years, opportunistic infections caused by Cryptosporidium parvum, and recrudescent Toxoplasma gondii infections in AIDS patients have prompted intensified efforts in understanding the biology of these parasites. In this review, Tobili Sam-Yellowe examines the unifying and variant molecular features of rhoptry proteins, and addresses the role of multigene families in organelle function: the biogenesis of the rhoptries will also be examined, in an attempt to understand the sequence of events leading to successful packaging, modification and processing of proteins within the organelle.