Disruption of the atypical Arp2/3 complex in malaria parasites causes defective DNA segregation and developmental arrest during male gametogenesis.
The discovery of an atypical Arp2/3 complex in malaria parasites expands the understanding of actin functions during mitosis and its essential role in malaria transmission.
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The Arp2/3 complex is a key actin nucleator essential for cytoskeletal dynamics in eukaryotes. Previously believed absent in apicomplexan parasites, we recently identified an atypical Arp2/3 complex in malaria parasites consisting of five divergent subunits and a putative kinetochore‐associated factor. This complex ensures proper kinetochore‐spindle attachment during male gametogenesis, likely by nucleating actin at the mitotic spindle. Disruption of Arp2/3 function or actin polymerization leads to defective DNA segregation into gametes and developmental arrest of the parasite in the mosquito. Our findings reveal unexpected diversity in Arp2/3 complex composition and function, highlighting specialized adaptations in malaria parasites and expanding our understanding of the Arp2/3 complex and actin functions during mitosis. Here, we discuss some of the open questions that need to be addressed to fully understand the molecular mechanism of this unusual Arp2/3 complex and its essential role in malaria transmission.
Hentzschel et al. (Tue,) reported a other. Disruption of the atypical Arp2/3 complex in malaria parasites causes defective DNA segregation and developmental arrest during male gametogenesis.