Endocytosis in different lifestyles of protozoan parasitism: role in nutrient uptake with special reference to Toxoplasma gondii

A fundamental property of any eukaryotic cell is endocytosis, that is the a bility to take up external fluid, solutes and particulate matter into membr ane-bound intracellular vesicles by various mechanisms. Toxoplasma gondii i s an intracellular protozoan parasite of the phylum Apicomplexa with a wide geographical and host range distribution. Significant progress in studying the cell biology of this parasite has been accomplished over the last few years. Only recently endocytic compartments and endocytic trafficking have come to a closer dissection in T. gondii. In this review, we discuss the ev idence for an endocytic compartment and present a model for an endocytic pa thway in Toxoplasma against a background of endocytosis in kinetoplastida a nd the extensive insights gained from mammalian and yeast cells. (C) 2001 A ustralian Society for Parasitology Inc. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.