Atypical network topologies enhance the reductive capacity of pathogen thiol antioxidant defense networks.

Infectious diseases are a significant health burden for developing countries, particularly with the rise of multidrug resistance. There is an urgent need to elucidate the factors underlying the persistence of pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Plasmodium falciparum and Trypanosoma brucei. In contrast to host cells, these pathogens traverse multiple and varied redox environments during their infectious cycles, including exposure to high levels of host-derived reactive oxygen species.