Recent advances in the molecular biology of the protist parasite .

is an anaerobic/microaerophilic protist parasite which causes trichomoniasis, one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases worldwide. . not only is important as a human pathogen but also is of great biological interest because of its peculiar cell biology and metabolism, in earlier times fostering the erroneous notion that this microorganism is at the root of eukaryotic evolution. This review summarizes the major advances in the last five years in the . field with regard to genetics, molecular biology, ecology, and pathogenicity of the parasite.