Moritz Treeck

FIKK1, a member of the FIKK kinase family, phosphorylates VAR2CSA and regulates adhesion of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes to the placental receptor CSA

This study identifies FIKK1 as a kinase that phosphorylates VAR2CSA, enhancing its binding to CSA and promoting placental malaria virulence.

Physiological febrile heat stress increases cytoadhesion through increased protein trafficking of Plasmodium falciparum surface proteins into the red blood cell

The paper shows that febrile heat stress increases cytoadhesion in Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells by enhancing surface protein trafficking, including PfEMP1 and PSAC.

In vivo CRISPR screens identify GRA12 as a transcendent secreted virulence factor across Toxoplasma gondii strains and mouse subspecies

The paper identifies GRA12 as a critical secreted virulence factor in Toxoplasma gondii that functions across different parasite strains and mouse species.

Paracrine rescue of MYR1-deficient Toxoplasma gondii mutants reveals limitations of pooled in vivo CRISPR screens

The paper shows that MYR1-deficient Toxoplasma gondii mutants are rescued by co-infection with wild-type parasites in mice, revealing a limitation of pooled in vivo CRISPR screens.

Mapping host-microbe transcriptional interactions by dual perturb-seq

This paper introduces dual perturb-seq, a method combining CRISPR screening and single-cell RNA-sequencing to identify host-microbe transcriptional interactions, revealing new effector proteins in Toxoplasma gondii.

A divergent kinase lacking the glycine-rich loop regulates membrane ultrastructure of the Toxoplasma parasitophorous vacuole

The paper identifies WNG1, a divergent kinase in Toxoplasma, that regulates PV membrane ultrastructure through phosphorylation of PV-resident proteins.

Phosphorylation of a Toxoplasma gondii tyrosine transporter by calcium-dependent kinase 3 is important for parasite fitness

This paper identifies a tyrosine transporter phosphorylated by TgCDPK3 in Toxoplasma gondii, showing its role in parasite fitness and metabolism beyond egress.