Cell biology and invasion of the microsporidia

Microsporidia are amitochondrial eukaryotic obligate intracellular parasite s. They are reported to infect every animal group from protists to vertebra tes, including humans. Microsporidia are of interest as opportunistic patho gens in humans and for certain characteristics which raise questions about their evolution and phylogenetic position. This review describes the basic biology and invasion mechanisms of microsporidian species infecting humans. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.