Disruption of the expression of a non-coding RNA significantly impairs cellular differentiation in Toxoplasma gondii.

The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is an important human and veterinary pathogen. Asexual replication of T. gondii in humans and intermediate hosts is characterized by two forms: rapidly growing "tachyzoites" and latent "bradyzoite" tissue cysts.

Genomic data reveal Toxoplasma gondii differentiation mutants are also impaired with respect to switching into a novel extracellular tachyzoite state.

Toxoplasma gondii pathogenesis includes the invasion of host cells by extracellular parasites, replication of intracellular tachyzoites, and differentiation to a latent bradyzoite stage. We present the analysis of seven novel T. gondii insertional mutants that do not undergo normal differentiation to bradyzoites.