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Woohoo — very excited to share our new paper published today in Nature Microbiology!
“A conserved GTPase complex gates exocytosis for defence and parasitism across alveolates”

In this study, we uncover a conserved molecular mechanism that controls regulated exocytosis across evolutionarily diverse alveolates: from rhoptry secretion during host-cell invasion by apicomplexan parasites to defensive exocytosis in ciliates!

By combining cellular cryo-electron tomography with molecular biology in apicomplexan parasites and free-living ciliates, we were able to connect molecular architecture with genetics and cell biology to reveal how a unique, yet conserved, GTPase complex gates this fundamental secretion pathway.

I am especially proud of my student Lucas Morley, who co-led this tremendous effort through wonderful collaboration with Marta Cova, PhD, DANIELA SPARVOLI, and Maryse Lebrun at Université de Montpellier, bringing together our complementary expertise across structural biology, parasitology, and ciliate biology. These interdisciplinary collaborations are what make it possible to tackle biological questions that would be difficult to address from any single perspective.

Many thanks and congratulations to everyone involved!
https://lnkd.in/eKHBJS7X