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Nature Reviews Microbiology 6, 570–571 (1 August 2008) | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1959

Parasitology: Hidden treasure uncovered?

Christiaan van Ooij

Although apicomplexan parasites, such as the human pathogens Plasmodium falciparum, Toxoplasma gondii and Cryptosporidium parvum, undergo many morphological changes during their life cycles, recognizable transcription factors are conspicuously absent from their genomes. However, the remarkable sequential expression of genes during the P. falciparum intraerythrocytic cycle indicates that a well-timed transcriptional programme is present.